


The Hot Doctor

by hoshi (ladylune)



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Bullying, Flustered/Recluse!Hiro, Graphic Description of Injuries, Hiro Hamada & Tadashi Hamada are Not Related, Hot Doctor!Tadashi, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Minor Gogo Tomago/Honey Lemon, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, aunt cass is amazing, aunt cass is hama-done with hiro's shit, bc no one can ever tell me otherwise ok i will fight you on this, bc this ship is trash haha get it, but from minor characters, dumpsters, genius!Tadashi, hiro gets hurt a lot bc he's a klutz, yes hello the hot doctor is here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 55,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylune/pseuds/hoshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hamada Hiro?" Hot Doctor asked, a kind smile on his lips.</p>
<p>"Uh y-yeah," he stuttered, "that’s me." He raised a hand and waved, belatedly noticing the disgusted looks people gave him before he realized that the hand he had raised was currently sloppily wrapped in bloody bandages. Riiight, injured, that was still a thing.</p>
<p>He dropped it and clutched the arm to himself as he made his way over, but unlike the other people in the waiting room, Hot Doctor had this look on his face that was a perfect blend between amused and worried. And oh God, please don’t let him be one of those doctors who actually genuinely cared. He was already ridiculously hot and probably disgustingly smart, he couldn’t be genuinely kind either.</p>
<p>“Please be an asshole,” Hiro whispered as he followed the man through the halls.</p>
<p>Hot Doctor turned to look over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised, “Did you say something?”</p>
<p>“Nope, no, n-nothing!”</p>
<p>(Or, the doctor!Tadashi x recluse/flustered/robot nerd!Hiro AU that literally nobody asked for haha)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. a star across my sky

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [The Hot Doctor（辣醫生）](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3351437) by [AmoebaBookworm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmoebaBookworm/pseuds/AmoebaBookworm)



> I promised that this would be up by Wednesday, and guess what: it's Wednesday :D  
> A lot of you guys asked if Hot Doctor would be put up on ao3, so here you lovelies go, thank you for waiting so patiently while I scrambled around/re-wrote chapter 1 haha & shout out @elirhia on tumblr for doing some magic and finding the original copy for me!
> 
> If this is your first time reading, basically I just wanted a doctor!Tadashi x recluse/flustered/robot nerd!Hiro AU. I don’t even know what this is. If it isn't, enjoy the re-read :'D I might not be the best writer but I hope you guys will stay with this story till the end of the line! I'll stop blabbing now haha, enjoy~!
> 
> Disclaimer: BH6 is not mine; also: un-beta'd ;_;
> 
> (updates currently set @ 2 days from now)

—X—

 

“Aunt Cass, honestly, I’m fine!”

The woman who had been his everything for the past 18 years turned and gave him a glare that made him glad to be in the hospital.

“Fine?” She hissed, eyes narrowing, “Do you know how much blood was in the garage?”

Hiro blinked, shrinking down before shrugging. “I don’t know.”

“Too much,” she snapped, “if the garage looks like a murder scene, I refuse to believe that you’re ‘fine’. No young man, you’re going to get those stitches and then we’re going to go home and you’re going to clean up all that blood from the walls.”

Hiro opened his mouth to protest before thinking better and shutting it with a sigh. He sat back in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting room and awaited his fate.

They were in the emergency room of the hospital Cass had always taken him to ever since he was a baby: San Fransokyo General. The place was (sadly too) familiar but, all familiarity aside, Hiro still hated coming here.

Of course, no sane person really liked to come to the hospital, but usually their fears varied from the whole blood, death, and sickness thing. Hiro had a different reason for hating the place and it had more to do with the people themselves who frequented the hospital rather than their injuries, sickness, or what have you. There were always people around and Hiro absolutely hated it. He would’ve preferred staying at home with his robots and Mochi who would always be happy to cuddle, hell, even working in the café was tolerable. At least he knew the good majority of the people who came there. Dealing with people would always be stressful for Hiro, but in places where he considered home it was like being stuck in an uncomfortable conversation with an acquaintance—awkward, but manageable; at the hospital however…

He slumped further down into the hard plastic chair and wished as hard as he could for the whole situation to whiz on by.  Every time he came here, he always somehow got stuck with the grumpiest doctors who would make less than nice comments about his aunt’s care and the many ‘accidents’ they have on file for him. Hiro absolutely hated it. Maybe he should look into some online classes and try to get a nursing degree or something—it didn’t sound all that interesting to him if he was honest, but if it got him to not step foot in a hospital again he’d be happy to learn.

He was working on getting his phone out of his pants pocket when his name was called.

"Hamada Hiro?"

The smooth voice caught his attention, and, just like that, all thoughts of hospitals being the worst place on Earth was swept out of his mind because—oh God, was that his doctor?

His face was– mmrgh, and wow he had to be the fittest doctor, look at the way those muscles rippled under that white coat. Around him, Hiro could see other patients in waiting blushing when Hot Doctor’s gaze swept over on them and he honestly couldn’t blame them. The doctor was Hot with a burning capital H with broad shoulders that seemed to go on for miles, and a face that sort of made Hiro want to whimper aloud; Hiro had never wanted to offer someone his virgin body as hard as he did right then.

"Is there a Hamada Hiro?" Hot Doctor said again, and wow, he went from smoking hot to adorable puppy with a little eyebrow action, what even.

Wow, Hiro never wanted to just watch someone for a whole day before. He was prepared to just sit back too, watch him look around some more, maybe hear him say his name again, but before he could set his plan into motion a sharp pinch made him jump from his seat with a loud yelp. All eyes swiveled to him and he blushed furiously when he realized that Hot Doctor was part of the group.

"Hamada Hiro?" Hot Doctor asked, a kind smile on his lips.

"Uh y-yeah," he stuttered, "that’s me." He raised a hand and waved, belatedly noticing the disgusted looks people gave him before he realized that the hand he had raised was currently sloppily wrapped in bloody bandages. _Riiight_ , injured, that was still a thing.

He dropped it and clutched the arm to himself as he made his way over, but unlike the other people in the waiting room, Hot Doctor had this look on his face that was a perfect blend between amused and worried. And oh God, please don’t let him be one of those doctors who actually genuinely cared. He was already ridiculously hot and probably disgustingly smart, he couldn’t be genuinely kind either.

“Please be an asshole,” Hiro whispered as he followed the man through the halls.

Hot Doctor turned to look over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised, “Did you say something?”

“Nope, no, n-nothing!” He flailed his arm before forcing himself to stop, laughing nervously.

Hot Doctor, instead of calling him a freak of nature or anything in that line, let out a chuckle that had the little hairs on the back of Hiro’s neck rising and his heart stuttering awkwardly in his chest. He mentally groaned because, _oh_ this was _so_ **unfair**.

 

.

 

“You’ll need stitches,” Hot Doctor said offhandedly when they walked into a room with one of those chairs that reminded him of the ones that could be found in a dentist’s office.

“But how do you know, you haven’t even seen it yet,” Hiro blurted out only to curse his brain afterward.

Hot Doctor didn’t seem to mind that Hiro was practically challenging his diagnosis however and just let out a soft laugh as he pulled on a pair of gloves at the counter. “I saw enough when you were waving it around earlier. A cut like that is too long for a regular Band-Aid, and judging by the blood staining your bandages it seems pretty deep as well—hence the stitches.”

Hiro blinked, unable to find anything to say to that. Damn, he was right though, Hot Doctor knew his stuff.

“Now,” he said, turning around to face Hiro with a bright smile, “can I see it?”

“Didn’t you already?” Hiro retorted before he could stop himself.

The mortification he felt was akin to whiplash, but Hot Doctor’s smile turned into a full-blown laugh and for a moment Hiro could hardly believe the man was even real. Normally, when he talked back, people would lash out even harder, calling him all sorts of names ranging from disrespectful to downright rude. The only person who ever really laughed at his bratty comments was his aunt, and now he was pleasantly surprised to add the man to the list. Hiro didn’t even know what to think about that, as dazed as he was by Hot Doctor’s mere presence.

“Ah, that’s refreshing,” Hot Doctor commented when his laugh died down.

Hiro moved to sit down, unsure if his legs would be able to hold him up if this man kept on smiling like that.

“Arm?” Hot Doctor asked, and Hiro, after a split second of hesitating, placed his bloody bandaged arm into Hot Doctor’s hand.

Hiro watched as the man worked, carefully unwrapping the messily tied cloth covering his wound. When Hiro started feeling the tug of dried blood and flesh, he quickly looked up because, while he could handle gallons of blood splattered across who knows what, open wounds and flesh were just not okay.

“It’s deep but it didn’t reach the bone,” Hot Doctor commented when the bandages were off, “can I ask you how this happened?”

Hiro gulped before covering up the action with a smirk, still looking up at the ceiling. “Not going to demand the answer from me?”

“You’re 18 and technically, I can’t make anyone do anything that they don’t want to do,” Hiro didn’t need to look to hear the smile in the other’s tone, “but I’m curious.”

Hiro couldn’t help his own smile as he quietly started recounting the story of how he had been trying to get rotating saw blades to stay in place with magnetic servos and nothing else. “It obviously didn’t turn out too well,” he admitted, “my aunt had a fit when she found me; she said the garage looked like a murder scene.”

Hot Doctor chuckled as Hiro felt the needle push through his skin, starting the stitch that would hopefully heal him without a scar (lord knows he already had enough of those). “I can bet,” he commented, “magnetic servos have a lot of potential with things that fall apart, but rotating anything with only magnets to hold it sound like a bad idea. I might sound a bit naggy, but next time, please stick to the normal parts. With this wound, any closer to your vein and… well, please just be careful next time. Magnetic servos might look cool in the end, but it won’t matter if you’re dead.”

Hiro opened his mouth because, oh man, Hot Doctor was perfect. It wasn’t cold professionalism in his voice, but actual worry. Hot Doctor actually cared and, oh crap, Hiro was wearing bloodstained clothes and had just told him a story of how much of an idiot he can be. Hot Doctor was perfect and Hiro was screwed and wanted to be screwed and– ugh.

After a minute, he managed to stutter out a flustered “O-Okay,” that probably made him sound even more like a weirdo. His pathetic answer seemed to be adequate though, because Hot Doctor sent him another heart-melting smile and continued working.

Life was **so** unfair.

 

.

 

Hiro’s arm was stitched up too quickly for his liking.

Before he knew it, he was standing with Aunt Cass and listening halfheartedly as Hot Doctor rattled off things that Hiro should avoid while his stitches were healing.

Before he knew it, he was pouting at home while he cleaned up the blood in the garage, torn between wishing desperately to know Hot Doctor’s real name so that he could stalk him online, and not knowing for the same reason.

(“You know, he did give me his business card–”

"No! I’m trying not to be a creeper right now Aunt Cass, _please_ don’t enable me into doing bad things.”

"So I’ll put it on your Christmas wish list then.")

 

.

 

It took Hiro three days until the realization that Hot Doctor knew what magnetic servos were, hit home.

Hiro, who had been in the middle of testing out his rocket attached, enhanced hover skateboard, took a wrong step and promptly fell off, landing incorrectly on his ankle with the added bonus of knocking his head on the nearest table. He woke up in the hospital to a frowny Hot Doctor who, while frowning, still looked ridiculously attractive.

Hiro had so many things to say and ask, but what came out instead was a garbled, “Magnetic servos.”

Instead of understanding, frowny Hot Doctor stopped frowning but did that confused thing with his eyebrows that made him look like a puppy.

"Unfair," Hiro mumbled before promptly passing out again.

 

 

—X—


	2. you rattle my bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When Hiro woke up again it was to the sight of a dark hospital room.
> 
> He took a second to focus on his surroundings, taking note of the fairly large window to his left. The drapes were open, telling him that it was nighttime but nothing else. The moon wasn’t quite full in the sky, but it was bright enough to shine some light on his surroundings. He wondered for a second, what he was doing there, but then flashes of him falling off his hover board and the sharp pain he felt when he landed reminded him why. “Aunt Cass must want to kill me,” he whispered before sighing the sigh of the long-suffering."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back, it's day 2! (right?)  
> well, whatever haha.
> 
> if you're re-reading and some parts don't sound familiar, it's bc they're not. i edited, not a lot, but a good portion of this chapter. some of the things i've sliced away i've decided to save for another chapter, so you'll probably see it be addressed in the future :D  
> &&if this is your first time, enjooooy~
> 
> OH YEAH AND, bc i'm really ocd when it comes to the general state of character's health and stuff, dashi did not neglect hiro ok. he has a concussion and we're going to assume that he checked on hiro hourly and he just doesn't remember ok. dashi didn't neglect him it's just not in the fic, whoo ok -deep breath- ocd moment over, continue :)
> 
> Disclaimer: BH6 and all characters are not mine; also: un-beta'd :/
> 
> [[ next chapter e.t.a@2 days from now ]]

—X—

 

When Hiro woke up again it was to the sight of a dark hospital room.

He took a second to focus on his surroundings, taking note of the fairly large window to his left. The drapes were open, telling him that it was nighttime but nothing else. The moon wasn’t quite full in the sky, but it was bright enough to shine some light on his surroundings. He wondered for a second, what he was doing there, but then flashes of him falling off his hover board and the sharp pain he felt when he landed reminded him why. “Aunt Cass must want to kill me,” he whispered before sighing the sigh of the long-suffering.

With nothing else to do, he turned his head and took in the right side of the room. A small nightstand held a smaller basket of fruit by his bed, and a cloth partition told him the hospital room was meant for two, though he couldn’t really make out or hear anything to prove that he had a temporary roommate. Turning back to the window, he found that he could only frown, “At least the view is nice.”

His stomach was the only one to answer him, growling in a way that made him feel the emptiness, “now, if I can only get some food…” He stroked his stomach and wondered if he should try getting some by himself. He knew that Aunt Cass left him clothes somewhere—considering that this wasn’t his first rodeo in a hospital—and perked up immediately when he spotted the neatly folded pile sitting on the chair in the corner. His usual blue sweatshirt was on top and, if she didn’t wash it, it would still have some yen. “Hopefully enough for some gummy bears,” he grinned, brightening up at the prospect.

Making up his mind to brave the creepy hospital halls for his beloved treat, he set himself up for the trip only to get as far as pushing the hospital sheets off before wincing when something pulled painfully on his left leg. “What the–“ he pulled frantically on the rest of the sheets, moving them to the side only to gape when it revealed a compression wrap that was wrapped expertly around his ankle. “Aw man,” he groaned, body slumping with his defeat.

He had apparently been stupider than normal if he was stuck in the hospital with a sprained ankle and—hands raised up to feel—yep, a bandage around his head. He sighed again, _wow, good going there Hiro, you idiot._ Staring at his jacket, he mourned at the distance between them. His stomach growled as if to agree with him but before he could comfort it, the sound of a door opening and the lights turning on made him perk up in hope.

Hope that quickly turned to dread when Hot Doctor walked into his side of the room, his mouth pulled into a frown that looked… vaguely familiar?

“Good evening, Mr. Hamada.”

And oh man, Hot Doctor was displeased. Hiro remembered the genuine worry the other man showed last time he had been here and something in his gut clenched guiltily making him want to drape his messed up blankets over his head and pretend sleep like the kid he apparently looked. Anything would be better than facing the frowny, but concerned expression Hot Doctor had on, that was for sure.

His face was _seriously_ unfair.

“A badly sprained ankle and a head wound,” Hot Doctor went on despite the silence, “you were bleeding a lot when you arrived, but all you’ve got is a concussion.”

Hiro sighed and ran a hand over his face, “Blood in the garage again, ugh I just cleaned that up.”

“Just a bit of advice, but maybe next time you should think more carefully about the places you're willing to test out your rocket powered hover board in,” Hot Doctor said absentmindedly as he wrote something down, stylus moving quickly on the tablet in his hands, “I’ve heard that grass is more forgiving than concrete.”

“And bleed all over Aunt Cass’ garden?” Hiro scoffed, “I don’t think so.”

Hot Doctor rolled his eyes but there was a definite smile threatening to pull at his lips, so Hiro counted that as a win.

“How’d you know about my board anyway?” Hiro asked, aiming for nonchalant and failing spectacularly.

He was mentally preparing the man to call him out on his bullshit, but Hot Doctor, when he looked up from his notes, only looked amused.

Hiro didn’t have the best childhood outside of the safety of his aunt’s proximity and their home, but he wondered when exactly had he started thinking that cruel mockery from others was a normal response to anything he said. Then he wondered why he had automatically applied that same logic to Hot Doctor when the man had never given him any reason to think so. They’ve only met one time before this, but the man had never said or done anything that had hurt Hiro. Hell, Hiro wondered if the man even had one cruel bone in his body; Hot Doctor probably climbed up trees to save cats and ran after muggers or something—he was probably _that_ nice.

Hiro had a doctorate’s degree by his sixteenth birthday and multi-billion royalties set up for life thanks to all the robots he had made and sold. They called him a prodigy, but while school came easy for him, making friends did not. In fact, Hiro could safely say that he had spent his entire educational career being hated by his peers for one reason or another. Even his professors seemed to resent him and wish him gone. Life had proven that the only person he could really count on was his aunt, so could Hiro really be blamed for not liking people?

Despite his lack of faith in humanity however, Hot Doctor was… different. He hadn’t had very good experiences with other doctors in the past, be they young or old. Hot Doctor however, shot all of Hiro’s expectations to hell. The man was so very… _genuine_. Sure, all Hiro had really seen from him was amusement and worry, but whatever expression, the man seemed to wear them all with an honesty he showed with every gesture of his body. It also helped that the man had a very easy presence; Hot Doctor made Hiro want to sit with him and talk away for hours about everything and anything—and Hiro didn’t even know his name!

Plus, he was really hot; Hiro sort of wanted to congratulate him on winning the attractive gene pool, he was so hot.

Aaaand now the man was staring. Did he say something?

Crap.

Hiro had seen his mouth move but he had a bad habit of tuning people out—which, Hiro _why_. Sure, tuning out Aunt Cass while she was ranting about his bad showering habits was helpful, but why this man? Ugh, he felt like hiding, he was so embarrassed.

“C-Can you repeat what you just said?” He asked, shrinking down into the bed when Hot Doctor’s expression went from expectant to severely deadpan.

Instead of yelling (as his aunt was prone to do), the man raised an eyebrow, face entirely cool and composed. “Did I say something?”

Hiro frowned, eyebrows furrowing, “…yes?”

“You don’t sound so sure of that.”

Hiro gaped, mouth opening and closing as he scrambled for something to say. Before he could think about it properly however, he ended up blurting out an honest “I’m not,” that seriously should’ve stayed quiet, _thanks for nothing mouth_.

He honestly wanted to go home now, just so he could build himself a time machine to go back and smack himself in the face. “I m-mean—“ he started, wracking his head for something to say. Before he could further embarrass himself however, Hot Doctor barked out a laugh that flattened Hiro’s frazzled nerves like an unstoppable steamroller.

“That wasn’t very nice,” he commented when the man’s laugh started dying down, a smile on his face regardless of his words.

Hot Doctor just grinned, the gesture all straight gleaming teeth, “It’s not very nice to zone out while someone was talking either, but you don’t hear me complaining.”

Hiro managed his own laugh at that, the action uplifting in of itself. When it tapered out and he opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of Hot Doctor smiling down at him, his expression soft enough to remind Hiro of baby bird feathers. Unsure at how to react, Hiro just smiled back, slightly confused but certainly not complaining at being the center of this man’s attention.

“What?” He asked, shyly wondering what Hot Doctor was looking at.

Hiro was expecting the standard ‘Nothing’ and maybe another shrug, but Hot Doctor turned out to be more of a surprise than Hiro had previously given him credit for. “You look good when you laugh,” he said, soft smile still on his disgustingly handsome face, “you should do it more often.”

Hiro felt the exact moment his face burst into the hardest blush of his life and he quickly brought his hands up to cover it, groaning the whole time. “Oh my God, you can’t just say stuff like that.”

Hot Doctor let out an amused chuckle, the sound making Hiro smile regardless of the situation. “Well, why not?”

“Not with your face okay,” Hiro complained, his bravery resurfacing with the knowledge that Hot Doctor couldn’t actually see his own face at that moment.

“That answer didn’t even make sense,” Hot Doctor said with a smile Hiro didn’t need to see to hear.

Before Hiro could look up, a large, warm hand landed on his hair, ruffling it gently. “You’re adorable,” Hot Doctor said, and really, Hiro was going to have a heart attack. He couldn’t even see Hot Doctor’s face, couldn’t even imagine what dumb expression he was showing at the moment, but apparently his voice alone was enough to send Hiro into shock, what even.

“You should rest now,” Hot Doctor continued, hand giving another gentle pat before moving off his head. Hiro mourned its loss but didn’t move from his pathetic position, too scared to break out of the quick bubble of comfort he had created. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Goodnight Mr. Hamada.”

Not wanting him to leave but knowing that asking him to stay wasn’t an option, Hiro separated his fingers and peeked through the gaps, drinking in the eyeful of the handsome man who was already turning to leave.

“Good night,” Hiro forced himself to say, the greeting coming out a little too squeaky for his liking because of his haste to reply.

Hot Doctor looked back and Hiro soaked in the way the man’s expression melted into his trademark honest smile before he turned again and made his way out of the room.

When the door closed behind him, Hiro let his hands drop to his lap as he let out a loud exhale. “That man and his stupid face are going to be the death of me,” he whispered to no one.

His stomach gurgled in agreement.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> \- uhm, i still want to know how you knew about my hoverboard??  
> (Q tally: 2)
> 
> so ok, if you're used to something big happening every chapter, i'm really sorry to disappoint. i write until i reach 4 pages on word, so sometimes the chapters are like these with them just interacting– which, if you don't like, why are you here?? haha. so sorry for the lack of plot, but hey! character development + more insight to this au's hiro :/ poor bby
> 
> kudos are buttons of love & appreciation (so lovee meee), and comments shall be repaid back in happy tears :'D  
> come say hi on tumblr! (hoshikuso.tumblr.com)
> 
> until next time~


	3. cause in the daylight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hot Doctor came back in the morning carrying a tray of hospital-approved breakfast and a bright orange ball.
> 
> “Good morning,” he greeted, making Hiro—who had been awake for only a couple of minutes—carefully push himself up from the cocoon he had made with the thin hospital sheets.
> 
> The man placed the tray of food down before busying himself with opening the blinders on the room’s only window, letting in the morning light. While he did that, Hiro took a moment to study the man. He looked like he had had a good refreshing nap, but his sleep was still clearly lacking some if the heavy raccoon eyes had anything to say about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok guys here's the next chapter but warning ok, i edited/re-wrote like a big part of this chapter out while in the car with a headache, so if there's a lot of mistakes, forgive me ok. i'm in a rush and things aren't going so great right now at home but still, enjoy this chapter ok! keep shipping :'D
> 
> but ok, before i go tho, let's talk about dashi. i know that canon wise, hiro is the only "proved prodigy", but in the movie, dashi is 18 (which was proved with a post that had his info in a book or something; the age 21 came from a japanese translation which i can't source right now bc i'm in a car like half arguing with my parents) and has his own huge ass lab in SFIT. i don't know about any of you guys, but when i was 18 and entering college there were no fanfares. also, it looked like dashi had been working in that lab for a while now leading me to think that he graduated early as well. with that said, this au's dashi is a prodigy in his own right, but instead of robotics, he's a prodigy in the medical field ok, accept he's smart. acceptttt itttttt. and if you can't, just look at hiro i mean. if he can be a prodigy, why can't dashi be as well
> 
> TL;DR: dashi is a genius and if you don't like it then i'm sorry (not really, bc damn it, dashi is smart too and no one's going to ever stop me from making it so) also, made up schools haha. ok now enjoy lol
> 
> Disclaimer: i don't own BH6; also: un-beta'd

—X—

 

Hot Doctor came back in the morning carrying a tray of hospital-approved breakfast and a bright orange ball.

“Good morning,” he greeted, making Hiro—who had been awake for only a couple of minutes—carefully push himself up from the cocoon he had made with the thin hospital sheets.

The man placed the tray of food down before busying himself with opening the blinders on the room’s only window, letting in the morning light. While he did that, Hiro took a moment to study the man. He looked like he had had a good refreshing nap, but his sleep was still clearly lacking some if the heavy raccoon eyes had anything to say about it.

When the man finished, he turned and caught Hiro’s inquisitive gaze, smiling that bright, honest smile again. The gesture looked as natural as ever, it was easy and something he obviously didn’t have to force, but it almost looked out of place with the rest of his tired features. “And how are we this morning?”

“I feel like I should be asking you that question,” Hiro commented as he rubbed at one eye, trying to rub the sleep from his lids, “you look tired, doc.”

As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, Hiro panicked thinking that he had crossed the line again. But, just like the last time Hiro had mentally freaked out, Hot Doctor’s laugh made everything right again. “Being a doctor means being on call and not complaining,” the man said as he threw the orange ball into the air, catching it again without any of the fumbling Hiro usually had to deal with, “even if I do get less than three hours of sleep.”

“Being a doctor also means knowing that three hours of sleep isn’t good for the body,” Hiro said absentmindedly as he watched the ball go up and down, up and down.

It took a long silence and some more distracted staring before Hiro realized what he had just said. Oh crap, did he seriously just lecture the man? _He’s supposed to be taking care of you Hiro, not the other way around_ , he thought furiously at himself, _who’s the one that sounds like a nag now?_ Despite himself however, Hiro didn’t want to take his words back. The man _did_ look like he seriously needed a good twelve hours of sleep and plus, even if he did nag, something told Hiro that the man wouldn’t get mad at him for it. Looking up at him now, Hiro took in his strangely contemplative look—even distracted as he was, he was still clearly listening and that, above everything else, warmed Hiro’s heart.

Still though, the man wasn’t saying anything and that was making him more than a bit nervous. “Uhm…” Hiro said, not sure how to proceed, “I’m sorry?” He tried, just in case.

At those words, Hot Doctor seemed to blink out of his stupor before his lips quirked into a quizzical smile. His eyebrows scrunched up together and did that thing where it made him look like a puppy with the added action of him tilting his head slightly to the side—which, okay, seriously, unfair—where the hell did he even pick up these gestures? “Sorry for what, Mr. Hamada?”

“Nagging you?” Hiro tried, adding a pathetic shrug at the end.

Hot Doctor blinked in surprise again before letting out a laugh. “Oh no, don’t apologize for that. I know perfectly well how unhealthy my work habits are but…” he trailed off with a shrug, his smile abashed and completely adorable, “I just like helping people, I guess.”

At his words, Hiro had to take a moment and close his eyes. How could someone be _so_ … God, Hiro didn’t even have the words anymore.

“Are you okay?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding more amused than worried.

Hiro took a deep breath and exhaled it before nodding, wondering what amazingly good deed he had done to meet such a person. “Fine,” he muttered, “completely fine.” And he wasn’t lying either; Hot Doctor had been here for a couple of minutes now and Hiro hadn’t felt the odd heart attack come along, so yeah, he was peachy.

Hot Doctor chuckled, “Alright, mind playing a game of catch with me after you finish breakfast?”

This time, it was Hiro’s turn to surprise blink. “Huh?” He asked torn between feeling dumb and asking again because—what?

Hot Doctor grinned and picked up the orange ball from the bed, “A game of catch; after you eat, of course.”

Hiro’s could feel his face scrunch in confusion, eyebrows scrunching together. “What? Why? _Where?_ ”

“Wow, just add in the who and the when and you have the makings of a good paper,” was the man’s reply, his tone light and grin teasing.

It took a split second for Hiro to get the joke but when he did, he couldn’t have stopped his smile even if he had tried. “Maybe if you were a middle school student,” he threw back, adding in a quick, “you nerd,” at the end.

Hot Doctor let out another laugh, his expression utterly pleased. Hiro wondered how many people this man had told nerdy jokes to, and how many people had ever understood them. If his expression was anything to go by however, Hiro safely assumed that the numbers were low on his end. Hiro could relate, when he made jokes they usually flew over people’s heads—and by people, he meant his aunt. Aunt Cass was an amazing person, but jokes about robot parts and physics just made her confused. When she did get the odd joke however, it never failed to please him when she laughed.

“The mere fact that you got it makes you at least a partial nerd,” Hot Doctor said, grin blinding and expression looking more awake than he had been when he walked in.

“Fine,” Hiro relented with a smirk, “but let it be known that you’re still the biggest nerd here. How old are you even and you’re already a doctor?”

“How old do you think I am?” Hot Doctor asked, something mischievous in his eyes.

Hiro paused at the sight, doing some quick mental calculations before he blurted out a quick guess. “Twenty-seven?”

Hot Doctor stroked his jaw, “Do I look that old?” He wondered aloud.

“Twenty-six,” Hiro guessed again, an eyebrow rising.

“Hmm, I wonder…” The man said looking so utterly amused that Hiro could practically feel the bruise to his ego.

“Twenty-five?” He threw out, lips pinching together in agitation.

Hot Doctor grinned, “Close but not quite.”

Hiro scowled, because come on! “Twenty-four, you can’t be any younger than that.”

“No, I suppose not,” he said, and Hiro was about to cheer at finally getting the correct answer before the man added in a quiet, “Unless you skip a couple of grades.”

At this Hiro faltered, “You skipped grades?” He didn’t know why he was so surprised to be honest, the man was obviously brilliant—Hiro had even thought so the first time he had seen him. Usually the ‘young doctors’ were hitting thirty, but Hot Doctor didn’t look like he could pass for anything past twenty-five.

Despite all the bragging he could do, Hot Doctor just nodded, the movement almost hesitant as his smile dimmed into nothing. There was a story behind that, Hiro thought as he watched the man’s expression morph into something that resembled bittersweet nostalgia. He should’ve been proud, he should’ve been bragging, but instead of any of that, the man looked… tired. “I graduated high school at sixteen,” he started, “but I was multi-tasking at SFU so I went straight into the medical program. I graduated that at nineteen and started my residency after a year off…” he paused here before swallowing, as if thinking back to that time was painful for him somehow.

He didn’t force a smile when Hiro noticed him staring, but he obviously tried to push away more than Hiro’s worries when he shrugged. “I just finished this year actually,” he met Hiro’s eyes and looked unbearably fond, “you’re actually my first patient as a doctor without an attending physician breathing down my neck.”

Hiro wanted to gape because he had been right; Hot Doctor was disgustingly smart, but the way Hot Doctor had shared his story made Hiro unable to do anything but desperately wish to know what had happened in this wonderful man’s past to make him so...

Despite the heavy atmosphere however, Hiro was certainly impressed. San Fransokyo University was as hard to get into as SFIT; they were both prestigious in terms of their schooling, but while SFIT specialized in technology and inventive science research, SFU’s shining beacon was their extremely rigorous medical program. It had a shockingly low admittance rate, and a horrifically high failing rate to make up for the gap—but everyone who got through were the best of the best and were hunted by hospitals all over the world—something that Hiro, who didn’t even keep up with the medical community, knew to be a fact.

The question that popped up next in his head was why Hot Doctor was still here and working at San Fransokyo General, of all places. It was a good hospital, Hiro knew, but it wasn’t the best and it certainly wasn’t the biggest either. He pushed that question away as quick as it had come however, labeling it as unimportant as to why Hot Doctor was here, just that he was.

And wow, was that investment he heard? “That’s not good,” he muttered to himself, _stop it Hiro_.

“Hmm?” Hot Doctor asked, seemingly jolting out of whatever he had been thinking.

“N-Nothing,” Hiro said quickly, coughing to cover up his embarrassment. “So… twenty-three?” He asked, aiming for teasing and knowing that he succeeded when the man’s lips quirked into a small smile.

Hot Doctor nodded, “It’s pretty old, right?”

Honestly, was this guy a Disney prince or something, jeez. He was the youngest doctor that Hiro had ever met _and_ he was a graduate from SFU’s death trap of a medical program. If anyone had bragging rights, it was him, but here he was, looking almost shy instead—and about his age of all the things. Instead of commenting on it however, Hiro just let out a snort, “If you’re taking into consideration that the normal age for graduating and becoming a doctor is thirty, then no, you’re practically a baby,” he snickered.

At his words, Hot Doctor pulled a face that made Hiro wonder if this was the first time he was teased for being so young. The thought just made Hiro’s snicker turn into a full laugh, something that the man rolled his eyes at. However, the man was still smiling and Hiro happily called that a win.

“All right, enough talk about me,” Hot Doctor said before grabbing the tray of food he had set aside earlier. He placed it neatly on Hiro’s lap before backing away to slide out his tablet from who knows where. His stylus moved quickly as he wrote down what was probably Hiro’s horrendous psyche evaluation. Hiro could see it now: patient suffers from smart-assedness and has the tendency to talk back, recommendation: gummy-free therapy. He shuddered at the thought, shooting the man a smile when Hot Doctor raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, something you need?” He asked fake-sweetly.

Hot Doctor just gave him an amused look, “Yes, please finish your food so we can play catch.”

Hiro looked at him skeptically at that, but did as he was nicely told to do. He looked down at the bland looking hospital food before tearing open the utensil wrapper and scooping up the first of the cooled meal into his mouth. He didn’t notice Hot Doctor watching him, nor did he notice how fast he had started shoveling food into his mouth until Hot Doctor let out a sound that made Hiro look up.

The man was looking between him and the fruit basket that had been left on his nightstand last night.

It was empty.

He turned back to Hiro with exasperation written all over his features. “You should’ve told me you were hungry, I would’ve gotten you something to eat.”

Hiro just stared at him, cheeks puffed out with food and probably looking like an embarrassed, guilty squirrel at that moment. Hot Doctor shook his head at the sight, but when he turned away, Hiro heard him laugh. Whatever embarrassment he felt, it was definitely worth it if he got to hear that bright sound fill the room.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- there's a story behind that & i want to hear it  
> \- why did you take a year off before starting your residency?  
> (Q tally: 4 )


	4. turns me weak for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When Hiro’s spoon scraped the bottom of the jello cup, he was more than disappointed. The hospital food was as bland as it looked, but the jello was the best part and he pathetically wished for more. He scraped at the bottom again, frowning all the while and only looking up when a muffled chuckle sounded through the room.
> 
> “I’m hungry,” he defended with a blush.
> 
> Hot Doctor just grinned, “I didn’t say anything.”
> 
> “But you laughed,” Hiro pointed out, childishly slamming his empty jello cup down with the rest of the empty food trays.
> 
> “Okay, yes I did—“
> 
> “Hmmph,” Hiro pouted, turning his nose up and crossing his arms."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after talking about it for like 2 chapters, they're finally playing catch. finally. hahaha
> 
> also, i seriously hope this chapter isn't boring bc it's 8 pages. that's right, 8 pages. nearly 3,600 words in one chapter.  
> why the change? well, don't get used to it ok guys haha. it's long bc the original chapter was delayed the first time i posted it, so the original 6 pages were for compensation lol. i have no excuse for this tho, i have no excuse for the extra 2 pages added on to it as well other than 'i couldn't stop myself from (re)writing'.
> 
> please, please tell me what you think. it would mean so much to me :D  
> and as always, enjoy~
> 
> Disclaimer: BH6 is not mine; also: un-beta'd

—X—

 

When Hiro’s spoon scraped the bottom of the jello cup, he was more than disappointed. The hospital food was as bland as it looked, but the jello was the best part and he pathetically wished for more. He scraped at the bottom again, frowning all the while and only looking up when a muffled chuckle sounded through the room.

“I’m hungry,” he defended with a blush.

Hot Doctor just grinned, “I didn’t say anything.”

“But you laughed,” Hiro pointed out, childishly slamming his empty jello cup down with the rest of the empty food trays.

“Okay, yes I did—“

“Hmmph,” Hiro pouted, turning his nose up and crossing his arms.

For a split second, he had a brief moment of panic because this was literally him laying on the bratty attitude, but Hot Doctor proved himself to be amazing once more when he laughed again, taking it all in with a stride that even Aunt Cass sometimes couldn’t manage. “I’m sorry,” he said when his laugh died down; his crooked smile emerged, making his eyes crinkle at the corners, and altogether it was a recipe for a seriously unfair face.

Hiro could feel himself slipping—because that smile, those eyes (he was starting to think they were his kryptonite or something with the way they made him weak)—and let out another “Hmmph,” to cover up anything his traitorous mouth might utter.

“I’ll make it up to you?” Hot Doctor offered, tone hopeful, and really, there was no way Hiro would turn that down.

He glanced at the man, lips pursed so he wouldn’t smile and ruin everything. “How?”

Hot Doctor shrugged, “I’ll buy you something from the vending machines,” he said, “but only if you forgive me and only after our game of catch.”

Hiro stared at him, squinting his eyes suspiciously.

Hot Doctor just kept on grinning, his earnest expression doing a good job with making him resemble an eager to please puppy.

Hiro didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.

“I’ll forgive you,” he said, “but only if you get me gummy bears—anything else and I’m taking back the deal.”

Hot Doctor chuckled, “Gummy bears,” he said, “I’ll definitely get them.”

Hiro nodded, letting his smile crack through as he relaxed.

“Now if you’re done,” Hot Doctor started, something in his tone making Hiro blink, “can you put that tray on the nightstand?” The request shouldn’t have sounded as weird as it did, but for some reason, Hiro felt like Hot Doctor had used a ‘doctor voice’ on him. It didn’t sound any different, but something in his inflection told him that Hot Doctor wasn’t asking him to just clean up after himself.

Whatever it was Hot Doctor was doing though, Hiro didn’t hesitate in giving in. Picking up the plastic tray now lined with the remnants of his meal, he turned his upper body and was ridiculously proud when he placed the thing on the nightstand (his hand didn’t even shake, he was that good).

He didn’t know what expression was on his face when he turned to face Hot Doctor again, but the way the man chuckled made a blush dust his cheeks. “Good job,” Hot Doctor said.

Hiro smirked to hide how happy he was to hear the praise before mentally cringing. Wow, he must’ve hit his head harder than he had thought if he was actually getting satisfaction from just that, last he checked praise was not on his list of kinks. But then again, he glanced at the man, watching as he wrote something down on his tablet; anyone would probably start developing it if _he_ was the one behind the praising.

“Okay,” Hot Doctor said that tone back in his voice. He walked further away from Hiro and stood next to the window, “look outside, can you see the really tall pointy tower over there?” He pointed vaguely in one direction and Hiro had to squint and focus for a second.

“The one with the banner hanging across it?”

“Yeah,” Hot Doctor said his voice pleased, “can you tell me the color of that banner?”

“It’s blue right? But dark, like navy? There’s lettering on it, but I can’t tell what it says, it’s too far away.”

Hot Doctor just nodded, writing something down on his tablet again, “That’s fine,” he said, “your vision is great!”

He sounded so enthused that Hiro had to suppress a snort. How adorable was this nerd, he thought to himself. He had never heard a doctor sound so excited about someone’s vision before, but then again, he had never really met anyone like Hot Doctor before either so maybe that point was moot.

“So, can you tell me what you remember from your accident?” Hot Doctor asked his voice suddenly quiet from where he stood a couple feet away, still by the window side.

Hiro had to stomp down the urge to ask him to come closer as he shrugged, “Like you said, I fell off my hover board in the garage which– I still want to know how you even know about that,” he added quickly, narrowing his eyes at the man, “And before you ask, no, it wasn’t on purpose. No, Aunt Cass didn’t push me, and no I am not depressed enough to try and fall off in the hopes of breaking my neck or something.”

Hot Doctor, who had been nodding, writing along to what Hiro was saying, stopped. He looked up from his tablet, his expression nothing but neutral. Hiro fought not to squirm under his gaze as he quickly looked away; his fingers nervously twisted the blanket clenched in his hands while he cursed himself mentally for the answer that went unnecessarily above and beyond the asked question. It was a standard add-on for whenever Hiro was questioned during his hospital stays, and usually he felt glad to say it—but for some reason, saying it to this man who had never once hinted that he thought Hiro was getting mistreated—made him feel the smallest twinge of guilt.

“You’ve been through this a lot, huh?”

Hiro looked up so quickly that he knew his neck would complain about it later.

Hot Doctor just smiled at him, crooked and so, _so_ kind.

Hiro blushed and looked down again; he shrugged and tried to make the move nonchalant. “I’ve been doing projects ever since I was little,” he admitted, “burns, scrapes, cuts, bruises, broken bones—name it and it’s probably on my file…” he sighed and looked up, attempting a wobbly smile, “my hospital track record isn’t very good.”

“It _was_ pretty thick,” Hot Doctor said, his comment missing the accusatory tone that Hiro had had to sit through with other doctors in the past.

“I got hurt a lot but,” he took a deep breath and exhaled, “but it was never my aunt’s fault.” He met the man’s eyes, wanting to make sure that he understood, “she’s a great caretaker, she makes sure I eat when I get stuck knee deep in a project and always scolds me when I manage to get myself sick.” Hiro paused before smiling fondly at the thought of the woman who had stepped up when no one wanted to, the woman who was always willingly trying to give Hiro the best that any bratty, genius kid would want. “She’s the only person alive who’s ever really cared for me.”

Hiro had said the same words to other people before, and he had gotten a myriad of answers ranging from the insensitive, “Where are your parents?” to, the cruel, offhanded, “Must be hard for her then.” Doctors were usually the worst considering the ones Hiro had met in the past liked to call the social worker to make sure that Hiro wasn’t lying. When he had been a minor, he had felt that no one really took his words seriously. All his bruises and cuts were from his own clumsy ass working with robots and heavy, sometimes sharp machine parts; his aunt never hit him. Disappointment and the silent treatment, she was great at, but she had never raised a hand to him, even when he had probably deserved the slap. And the worst part was that, despite what he’d say, Aunt Cass had been investigated so many times for Hiro’s blunders that somewhere along the way they had started up a tally. Cass had always laughed it off, but Hiro knew that the suspicion always hurt her. Hiro had hated it when he was younger, and he still hated it now.

A hand landing on his shoulder knocked him out of his reverie.

Hiro turned his head and stared at it for a second, before following it up the man’s arm, drinking in the man’s small frown. “Sorry,” Hiro said, trying for a smile and failing, “I just– like you said, I’ve had to deal with this a lot for a very long time.”

Hot Doctor didn’t say any words of false sympathies or understanding, he just nodded. “Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong,” he said, tone stern even as his hand moved to ruffle Hiro’s hair.

Hiro let out a displeased sound and tried to bat it away, pouting at the man when his frown melted into a small smile. “You’re messing up my hair,” he complained.

Hot Doctor just chuckled, the sound missing its usual bolster but still light and honest. “You mean that bedhead of yours?” He looked at Hiro and tilted his head a little, pretending to squint and really study Hiro’s messy mop. “I think it actually looks better now, less of the I-just-woke-up and more of the, I-sort-of-tried.”

“I’m hurt,” Hiro said, bringing his hands to cover his heart while glaring at the man, “you’re a doctor, you’re supposed to make me feel better, not worse!”

Hot Doctor burst into an easy, honest laugh that Hiro couldn’t resist smiling at; and just like that, everything was okay again. Hiro didn’t know what he would have done if the man tried being sympathetic or understanding. Having him just stand there and listen to all of his bitter feelings made Hiro feel better than any consolation he had ever gotten.

Being with this person, Hiro realized, felt as natural as breathing. They just met a handful of times, but the feeling of comfort crept into Hiro’s every pore when they were together. Hiro felt like, if he talked about the ugly things creeping in his heart, Hot Doctor would just sit there and be happy to listen. He might not understand, but at least Hiro now knew that he wasn’t going to pretend that he did. Hot Doctor didn’t dismiss him and his feelings, and it was a wonderful thing to realize.

 

.

 

“All right, let’s play catch.”

Hiro jolted, eyes widening. “Seriously, you’re still on that?”

Hot Doctor placed his tablet down, “Why do you look so surprised?” He asked with a smirk, “I’ve only said that it was happening multiple times already.”

“I thought you were joking!”

Hot Doctor picked up the orange ball he had brought in earlier, “I wouldn’t joke about this,” he said as he threw the ball up and down, catching it easily with one hand. “Unless…” he trailed off, tone definitely teasing, “Unless you’re scared of hurting your pretty face…?”

Hiro smirked, “Are you challenging me?”

“I don’t know,” Hot Doctor said with a shrug, “are you worth challenging?”

“Do you know how many video games I’ve played in my life?” Hiro demanded, eyes narrowing.

“Too many to count?” Hot Doctor teased, grin practically blinding.

Hiro nodded, “Too many to count.”

Hot Doctor’s grin just grew, “And who’s the biggest nerd here, again?”

It took a second for him to process the quip, but when he did his laugh came like a punch to his gut, sudden and filled with surprise. “I’m sure that title still belongs to you,” he said between a smile that refused to go away.

“I’m still waiting, Mr. Hamada,” he said, throwing the ball up and catching it again, “please turn to me when you’re ready to lose.”

“More like if _you’re_ ready to lose,” Hiro said as he pushed his blankets off and carefully maneuvered himself until he was facing the man, legs hanging off the side. “Loser gets the title of biggest nerd,” he proposed.

Hot Doctor laughed, “All right, I can get behind that.” He caught the ball mid-air, “Ready?”

Hiro grinned.

 

.

 

Fifteen throws later and both sides had caught every throw thrown their way without a single fumble.

“So… how do you even win a game of catch, anyway?” Hot Doctor asked casually ( _too_ casually).

Hiro quirked an eyebrow, “When someone misses catching, duh.”

“Oh, is _that_ how,” Hot Doctor said.

Hiro narrowed his eyes, “Wha—“

“Whoa, where’d those gummy bears come from!”

“Where!” Hiro turned to the direction the man pointed only to blink when an orange blur went sailing past him.

“…I win.”

“Cheater!

 

.

 

“One last question before I discharge you,” Hot Doctor said after pocketing the orange ball.

“Hmm?” Hiro asked, moving his legs back and forth.

“What is 3,589 multiplied by two?”

Hiro blinked, “My hospital bill?”

At that Hot Doctor let out a surprised laugh of his own, the sound nothing but bright amusement. Hiro grinned as he watched him, something disgustingly fond warming his chest– and wow, that was bad. Fond? What even, when did he start getting _fond_.

“7,178,” Hiro murmured when Hot Doctor’s laugh melted into a smile.

The answer only took a split second for his brain to figure out, but he was hesitant to answer for the sole purpose of being able to leave. If he stayed in the hospital, he would see Hot Doctor again. Outside, in the world, there was only a small chance they’d meet again and that fact was one that made Hiro want to throw himself off the bed and aim for another concussion.

Hot Doctor seemed to understand, his answering smile to Hiro’s correct answer strangely bittersweet. He wrote something down on his tablet before seemingly signing something with a flourish. “Congratulations Mr. Hamada,” he said, tone subdued against the cheerful words, “looks like you’re in perfect health. You can take off the bandages around your ankle after another approximate two weeks.”

“And my stitches?” Hiro asked quietly.

“They will dissolve when your wounds heal.”

Hiro nodded, unable to stop his frown. “Can you hand me my clothes from the chair? I need to call my aunt.”

Hot Doctor nodded and did as he was asked, gently placing Hiro’s bundle of clothing on his lap. “I’ll get you some crutches to support that ankle,” he said before leaving.

Hiro watched him go with a sigh before checking the pile of clothing. There was money in the pocket of his sweatshirt when he slipped his hand in and he smiled at the thought of the first day, before turning his cellphone on and calling the only person on his speed dial.

His aunt picked up after the third ring, her face looking haggard on his cellphone screen. “Hiro! Is everything alright?”

He frowned, “Yeah, I’m being discharged right now, are you–“

“Right now?” His aunt interrupted, eyes widening with panic.

“Aunt Cass?” Hiro blinked, “Are you okay?”

Cass met his eyes through the screen and sighed, “I’m the only one running the café, everyone I hired is either sick or out of the city and worst of all, there’s a convention in town and the place has been packed since opening.”

“That’s… great?” He said, unsure whether to be happy at all the customers if his aunt looked this tired. Guilt started to churn into the mix then when he realized that his aunt’s usual back up for situations like this was him—not that that he could do anything now with his ankle.

Cass let out a strangled, somewhat hysterical sounding laugh. “Yeah, it’s great! The income spike is honestly well welcomed, but Hiro, honey…” she trailed off, biting her lip, “I’m truly sorry for asking but, is there some place you can wait until I close for lunch?”

His aunt sounded so torn and guilty that Hiro didn’t even think as he shook his head, “Hey no, Aunt Cass,” he said, “don’t even worry about picking me up. I have enough money to catch the bus, so it’s okay; I’ll be fine getting myself home.”

Cass frowned, “Hiro, you have a sprained ankle.”

Hiro just shrugged, “Yeah, but Hot Doctor said that he was getting me crutches so I think I’ll be okay. Besides, this is hardly the first time I’ve taken the bus anywhere with injuries before, remember?”

Cass let out a giggle, the sound taking some of the guilty weight off Hiro’s shoulder. Hiro just smiled at her, watching as his aunt took a deep breath, some of stress leaving her face.

“I’ll be fine,” Hiro repeated.

Cass took a deep breath before exhaling it again and nodding. “Alright,” she murmured, “I’m sorry for making you do this, Hiro. I’d be there in a heartbeat to pick you up if I could.”

“I know, Aunt Cass,” he said, nothing but honest.

“Okay,” she said, “love you, be careful on your way home.”

He nodded, “I’ll see you soon.”

She smiled at him before ending the call.

Hiro sighed running over the conversation before stiffening when he realized what he said. Looking around frantically, he heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that Hot Doctor hadn’t come back into the room yet. He was still safe from that mortal embarrassment and crap was he thankful. He probably would’ve died if Hot Doctor ever heard Hiro actually call him Hot Doctor, it was so embarrassing that the mere thought of him finding out made Hiro want to curl up into a ball and hide for a thousand years.

Shaking his head to clear it, he worked on changing into his street clothes. He just finished pulling up the zipper of his pants when the door opened. He jumped, squeaking embarrassedly when Hot Doctor walked to his side of the room, obviously having heard him if the single eyebrow raised in amused question had anything to say.

“You okay there?” the man asked.

“Fine,” Hiro replied knowing that his bright red cheeks definitely weren’t helping the unfazed image he was trying to project.

“Okay,” Hot Doctor said with a small chuckle before he held up a set of collapsible crutches and a bag of—

“Gummy bears!” Hiro snatched the treat from the man’s hands, grinning down at them before turning that grin up at the man.

“I _did_ promise,” he said seriously.

Hiro smoothed out his grin, clearing his throat as he nodded. “Good job,” he said, “I’ll consider that deal paid off in full.”

They stared at each other for a couple more minutes before simultaneously bursting into laughter.

“Seriously though,” Hiro said when he could breathe again, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Hot Doctor said with a shrug, “getting them was worth it if they got you smiling again.”

Hiro felt his smile disappear as his blush crept up his face. “God,” he moaned, bringing up the bag to cover his face with, “why me?”

“Did I say something wrong?” Hot Doctor asked before chuckling when Hiro sent him a glare. “Here are the crutches too,” he said, placing the things on Hiro’s lap, “I know it’s not a bag of gummy bears, but…”

Hiro rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself, “Thanks,” he said, “these look great.”

Hot Doctor shook his head, “No problem at all,” he said, “I’ll walk you to your aunt’s car.”

“Oh, no need,” Hiro said before expertly disengaging them and slipping off the bed. He balanced himself on his one leg with the crutches as his only support, taking a couple of shaky hobbles to test them out, “I’m headed toward the nearest bus stop. Do you need anything signed before I go?”

Yes, these were definitely quality crutches—and they were red too, his second favorite color. He looked up, ready to tease the man about the color choice, but when he noticed the small frown on Hot Doctor’s face, he paused, confused. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s not picking you up?” The man asked, eyebrows furrowing.

 _Oh._ “There’s a convention in town so the café is swamped right now,” Hiro explained, words falling in a rush to beat each other, “Aunt Cass said that she’d pick me up during her lunch break–“

“Then–“

“–but I want to go home,” Hiro continued firmly, “I need to get there and help her somehow.”

Hot Doctor stared at him, coffee eyes unreadable. Hiro refused to be cowed underneath that gaze. He would’ve loved to stay and catch glimpses of Hot Doctor (and wow, how pathetic was that, really; being happy with only mere glimpses), but Aunt Cass needed him right now and he was going to make it home come hell or high water.

They stared at each other for a couple more seconds before Hot Doctor conceded with a sigh. “I don’t have anything for you to sign, but the nurses at the front might.”

Hiro nodded, giving the man a small smile. “Then—“

“But would you mind waiting for ten minutes outside.”

Hiro blinked, raising an eyebrow in question. “I don’t mind… but why?”

Hot Doctor just smiled sheepishly in his direction, “Because I need to gather my things before I give you a ride home.”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- why the game of catch?  
> (Q tally: 5)


	5. don't know why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro stared because, “What?”
> 
> Hot Doctor blinked back at him, “I want to give you a ride home?”
> 
> Hiro stared then laughed because, “Sorry, what? I thought you said you were offering me a ride home?”
> 
> Hot Doctor hummed, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I said.”
> 
> Hiro was back to staring again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd like to take this time to remind you all of hiro's recluse status.  
> he has baggage okay, and while i might not share the whole story with you guys now (bc spoilers~) i can promise you all that this story will end happy. there might be a lot of bumps for the two, but everything will be okay in the end.  
> that said, don't hate on hiro too much ok. there's a lot of trust when it comes to accepting a ride home (or anything really) and that, + dashi's reasoning just rubbed hiro wrong. don't hate him for lashing out. i can tell you right now though, that dashi didn't lie at all in this chapter. 
> 
> &with that said, please enjoy :D
> 
> Disclaimer: BH6 is not mine; also: un-beta'd  
> [*fingers crossed* that theyre not too ooc omg, this chapter was seriously hard to edit]

—X—

 

Hiro stared because, “What?”

Hot Doctor blinked back at him, “I want to give you a ride home?”

Hiro stared then laughed because, “Sorry, what? I thought you said you were offering me a ride home?”

Hot Doctor hummed, “Yeah, that’s exactly what I said.”

Hiro was back to staring again.

Hot Doctor smiled at him, but his eyebrows were furrowed as if he didn’t know what to make of Hiro’s confusion.

Hiro just kept on staring because, honestly, he didn’t know what to make of his confusion either. This very hot and very kind man was offering him a ride home. He didn’t have to take the bus—which was honestly just a mess of him always trying not to get trampled while studiously avoiding any and all eye contact—so what was the problem exactly? There had to be one for him to react this way, right? Unless he was going crazy, that was probably a plausible explanation is he was being honest with himself.

“I don’t want to trouble you,” Hiro tried hesitantly, knowing that it was truth but also knowing that it wasn’t the exact reason he was acting out over an offered ride home. He didn’t know what was wrong with him considering that a large part of his brain was currently screaming at him to _just shut up Hiro, shut up_. Hot Doctor giving him a ride home went so far out of the realms of his expectations that it almost seemed like a dream. When he bit the inside of his cheek however, the room didn’t waver and Hot Doctor was still there, still looking like everything Hiro ever wanted in a man.

“It’s honestly no trouble,” he said, “but… hmm…” he trailed off, looking to the side as if he were trying to figure something out. “There isn’t much when it comes to storage…” he turned his head again to look down and study the collapsible crutches which, seriously, were probably the only things holding Hiro up at that moment.

“But what about your job?” Hiro asked, honestly not knowing why he kept blurting out all these things when he wanted to throw himself on Hot Doctor and never let go.

“Oh, I’m off already,” Hot Doctor said with a little shrug and a small smile, “I’ve been off since four this morning actually, so don’t worry about that.”

Hiro blinked in surprise, suddenly taken aback. “You’ve been off since… but it’s seven right now! Why are you still here?”

“I wanted to see you off,” was Hot Doctor’s reply, his expression nothing but fond and honest, as if he truly didn’t see anything wrong with staying a couple of hours just to ‘see Hiro off’.

Hiro, in the meanwhile, had to force himself to breathe. If he didn’t have a crush on Hot Doctor already, his one sided love would’ve been cemented into his life at those words. Honestly, Hiro didn’t even know what to do. He felt so overwhelmed with emotion because—what doctor would stay an extra three hours to see their patient off? Who even did things like that anymore?

(Hiro was pretty sure the answer was never and no one. No one except this man, at least.)

“Are you okay?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding a little more worried, and Hiro wondered for a brief moment what expression was showing on his face to make this man suddenly look at him as if he might keel over anytime soon. Sure, yeah that’s what he would’ve probably done if the crutches hadn’t been there to hold him up, but no one had to know that.

Hiro choked down his, what would probably be incredulous answer and moved to hobble to the nearest chair so he could sit down. “Fine,” he said, wincing when it somehow resembled a wheeze, “just my heart you know, it’s going a little crazy right now.”

“Your heart?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding and looking completely baffled, “There was nothing wrong with it when we did a full body scan on you during your concussion…” Hiro looked up and watched as the man took a step forward, his eyebrows furrowed as his big brain probably tried to find a medical explanation for Hiro’s poor love-struck heart.

Oh my God, Hiro was going to die if Hot Doctor brought out his puppy face—he could feel it. It’s okay though, he tried to convince himself, Hot Doctor probably did this to everyone. Calm down; remember who you’re talking to here. Hot Doctor was a Disney prince; super kind with super pure intentions. He probably made sure to stay for every single one of his patients, just to say goodbye and wish them well or something. This was probably normal behavior for him, Hiro told himself, repeating the idea over and over in his head.

“I’m okay,” Hiro said, probably cutting through Hot Doctor’s mental health encyclopedia search.

“Are you sure?” Hot Doctor asked, “I could do another full body scan if you want.”

Hiro shook his head, “No, honest. I’m fine. I guess I’m just not used to… uhm… standing on crutches for so long?”

_What_

“What?”

Hiro brought up his hands to cover his face, his cheeks burning with the warmth of his embarrassment, “Nothing, oh God, just ignore me.”

Hot Doctor laughed then and Hiro, through the gaps between his fingers, watched as the sound tapered off into a good-natured grin. “Okay, I guess,” he conceded with a smile, “as long as you’re not in any kind of pain.” He grew serious again, “Seriously, if you’re in pain, please tell me. Chest pains are early symptoms of strokes and I know you’re still young, but they can strike at any age.”

Hiro just sighed and nodded obediently; if this was what he got for lying, he was willing to accept it. Besides, even if the coddling was a tad bit annoying, it was more endearing and if the man didn’t look so serious, Hiro probably would’ve smiled at the whole thing a long time ago.

“So…” Hot Doctor said after a heartbeat, “ten minutes?”

Hiro blinked at the man, tilting his head to the side, “You still want to give me a ride home?”

Hot Doctor quirked an eyebrow, “Well I offered, didn’t I?”

Hiro frowned, “Yeah but, I don’t know, wouldn’t you rather go straight home and sleep?” He cleared his throat, blush rising back on his cheeks, “You’ve already done so much for me.”

Hot Doctor just gave another shrug, “Honestly, I’d rather see you home safe than worry about you later.”

Hiro groaned, “I’m not a kid, I’ve taken the bus to school by myself before with broken bones and crutches; I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not doubting your ingenuity,” Hot Doctor said with a small smile.

“Then?”

“I want to give you a ride home for selfish reasons, to tell the truth.” There was no trace of a lie in the man’s face, no quirk that told Hiro that he was joking, nothing that revealed cruel intentions, but even with all the evidence screaming that the man wasn’t screwing around with him, Hiro still couldn’t make himself believe.

“Selfish reasons?” Hiro deadpanned, “Really?”

“You sound convinced,” Hot Doctor said with a tone that implied he got the message loud and clear.

“Because I’m not,” Hiro threw back, and really, could you blame him? The man was willing to stay an extra three hours just to ‘see Hiro off’. Hot Doctor probably didn’t even know what selfish was, let alone do things because of it. He was probably the type of person who always had to help, who would run into a burning building if he had heard that someone was still inside—and Hiro didn’t know why but the mere thought just pissed him off.

“I’m human too,” Hot Doctor said, his tone laced with hard steel, expression hardening as if he was settling himself down to survive an attack, “I can be selfish and want things.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Hiro said, and he really didn’t, wanting things was human nature, “but giving me a ride home for ‘selfish reasons’? Tell me, what part of that is even remotely selfish?”

There was a part of Hiro’s brain that was shrieking at him to shut up; Hot Doctor, the man that Hiro wanted to never let out of his sight was offering him a ride home, but here Hiro was, mouthing back to him and questioning his intentions like it was life and death. Hiro should’ve been grateful, Hiro should’ve accepted with a screaming YES—but he couldn’t, no matter how hard he wished.

Hiro hated being pitied, had hated it when he was young and his parents’ deaths were still fresh, and he still hated it now. It had actually been a cause for a lot of the arguments he used to have with his aunt when he was younger with him screaming that he didn’t need her pity whenever she had tried to parent him. It had taken her a good couple of years to scale that mountain and to convince him that she didn’t adopt him because of pity, but because he was family and she loved him. Up to this day, he still sometimes had a hard time believing it, and now, in front of this man, Hiro could feel that mountain slam up again. “If you’re offering because you feel bad for me…” he took a deep breath and looked up, locking eyes with the man as if he could debunk the man’s reasoning with his gaze alone, “if you’re offering because of that, I’ll stick with the bus.”

Hot Doctor stared back, eyes piercing and expression nothing but determined.

“You think too little of yourself,” the man said, tone not unkind but words definitely holding a sharp bite to them that made Hiro want to flinch. “I’m not offering out of pity, Mr. Hamada,” he said, no trace of a lie in his voice. Then he sighed and it was as if all the fight drained out of his body, “It was an offer,” he murmured, “and if you’re so adamant on turning it down, I understand.” And Hiro _really_ didn’t want to know why it felt like someone was squeezing his heart in a fist at those defeated words—he really didn’t want to know.

“In ten minutes I’ll be by the emergency room entrance...” the man hesitated, “if you’re not there, please be careful going home and remember to stay off your ankle for at least a week as it heals.” Then Hiro watched as a softness crept onto his face, something fond and kind erasing the lines around the man’s eyes as one corner of his lips pulled up into a warm, lopsided smile. “It was a pleasure treating you, Mr. Hamada, and if we never meet again, I wish you all the best.” He gave a small nod that seemed to be more for his benefit than for Hiro’s, and, before Hiro could even utter another word, he turned and made his way out of the room.

When the door closed, Hiro allowed himself to sag in his seat. He brought up one hand to grip at his hair, the other one moving to cover his rapidly beating heart. He had done it; he had successfully pushed the man away. The threat was gone and Hiro was left blessedly alone in his little world. He could go home and be with his aunt and his cat, and life could go on normally. He didn’t need the man’s pity, didn’t need for him to stick around and treat Hiro like something to be fixed; he wasn’t broken—he wasn’t—and he certainly didn’t need the man in his life. He was fine thank you very much; he had managed to get this far without him and he would get even farther.

(But God did he want him to be there. Hiro wanted to be friends with the man, wanted to take all the time in the world figuring out what made him tick. His favorite things, his most hated things, the things that made him cry, laugh, and cringe—Hiro wanted to see them all.)

Hiro didn’t need him (but he _wanted_ ) and he repeated the thought in his head as he looked up at the clock. “I’m taking the bus,” he muttered to himself, clenching his fists hard enough to create moons on his palms.

Five minutes passed and he allowed another five before he got up and started collecting what little things he had. Counting the seconds from leaving the room, he told himself furiously that that was it, ten minutes gone, that Hot Doctor had probably left and: _shut up Hiro,_ _don’t be sad! You’re taking the bus home—the bus!_

He stood outside of the entrance to the emergency room eighteen minutes and forty-six seconds after Hot Doctor had left. Standing there, he desperately told himself that it was for the best while something akin to crushing disappointment squeezed painfully at his chest. There were no cars idling around the front; Hot Doctor was gone and Hiro should’ve been happy. He closed his eyes and clutched at his shirt, taking deep breaths as he tried to tell himself that it was okay, that this was what he had wanted, that he was fine with being alone. Hot Doctor had left and probably would take to avoiding Hiro like the plague even if Hiro ended up in the hospital again—and the best (worst, horrible, **heartbreaking** ) part was that Hiro couldn’t even blame him for it.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- what selfish reasons? (if you even have them)  
> (Q tally: 6)


	6. what i want you got

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scenery that Hiro was staring at from his spot in front of the emergency room entrance looked like this:
> 
> Cars that were parked neatly in their spots, cars that drove by or would stop for a second to let out a passenger, and one lone motorcycle and its cyclist parked a little ways away (oh, and that one tree standing in the middle of the parking lot, which, why??).
> 
> What Hiro wanted to see was this:
> 
> A car—small or big, doesn’t matter—with a certain driver who would look up when he saw Hiro and smile that stupid lopsided smile when their eyes met.
> 
> Reality wasn’t kind to him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an alternate title to this chapter is: hiro finds out that hot doctor is really firm  
> pfffft—  
> also [this](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CollapsibleHelmet) is my favorite trope ok, so don't hate haha. also, keep in mind san fransokyo is supposed to be a futuristic city set in the future with cool future stuff.  
>   
> i dunno, i thought this chapter was pretty cool. so shhh don't burst my bubble lol let me have my geeky moments mmk  
> P.S. i told you guys everything would be ok, they are end game, don't fret ;D
> 
> &as always, enjoy~
> 
> Disclaimer: i dont own bh6; also: un-beta'd

—X—

 

The scenery that Hiro was staring at from his spot in front of the emergency room entrance looked like this:

Cars that were parked neatly in their spots, cars that drove by or would stop for a second to let out a passenger, and one lone motorcycle and its cyclist parked a little ways away (oh, and that one tree standing in the middle of the parking lot, which, why??).

What Hiro _wanted_ to see was this:

A car—small or big, doesn’t matter—with a certain driver who would look up when he saw Hiro and smile that stupid lopsided smile when their eyes met.

Reality wasn’t kind to him at all.

He didn’t know how many minutes he stood there just watching the cars come and go, and he didn’t know how much longer he would’ve waited if his phone didn’t vibrate with a new message. ‘Are you on your way home?’ Was Cass’ message, the smiley face at the end urging him to hurry up so he could help his aunt. Putting his phone away, he looked around once more before taking a deep breath. He didn’t (did) know what he was looking for, but whatever it was, wasn’t here. He sniffled and readied himself to hobble to the nearest bus stop, but before he could take a step forward, the loud revving of a motorcycle has him turn his head to stare.

The machine was sleek, all shiny black gleaming in the daylight. It looked expensive, but judging by the wear of the tires it wasn’t just something the owner bought to show off and never use. It was beautiful and looked perfect for racing, but what had Hiro really gaping was the rider. The motorcyclist looked ready to fight the world and go down screaming in his black leather jacket and pitch black helmet, and for a moment, Hiro had the fleeting idea that he had done something wrong and was going to get beat up right in front of the hospital. Hiro floundered over what to do as the man and his vehicle came closer, rolling until he stopped right next to Hiro on the sidewalk. Before he could say anything however, the man pressed something on the side of his helmet that made the black visor turn clear.

Hiro could only gape in surprise because, holy crap, Hot Doctor had just been upgraded to Sexy Doctor.

Coffee eyes met his own, no trace of a smile on the man’s face. He just sat there and stared as Hiro tried to wrap his head around the fact that harmless, nerdy Hot Doctor rode dangerous looking motorcycles around.

Then Hiro remembered and suddenly, it didn’t matter what Hot Doctor rode—just that he was still here.

“Its past ten minutes,” He managed to choke out.

Hot Doctor stared at him for another second before shrugging, “I waited for you for a little over three hours, and I figured I could wait for a couple more minutes.” His muted voice was filled with a self-deprecating amusement that made Hiro wince, something in his chest hurting at the tone. He had been prepared for resentment and anger; he never wanted the man to beat himself up over Hiro’s mistakes, Hot Doctor literally did nothing wrong.

“I…” Hiro quickly shut his mouth, knowing that the next words would’ve been supremely embarrassing for them both.

Hot Doctor raised an eyebrow.

Hiro soaked in the familiar sight before inhaling deeply and releasing, the tension that had unknowingly crept into his shoulders bleeding out with that single exhale.

“Can I have a ride home?”

Hot Doctor opened his mouth before closing it again, thinking better of whatever he had been planning to blurt out. Then his lips pressed into a smile that Hiro could only describe as soft, the action fond even after everything Hiro had done. “Sure,” he said, the forced nonchalant way he answered making Hiro’s lips twitch into a ghost of a smile.

Then he put the machine to sleep and swung himself off with the easiness of someone who did it every day. Hiro was, at first, shocked, because the man just walked away without kicking down any kickstand that Hiro could see—but surprisingly, the motorcycle stayed still in its slightly titled position without anything to hold it up. “Huh,” he muttered, tilting his head at the obviously modified machine as he tried to think of things that would make it so. Trying to figure out what made it tick also helped in keeping him from freaking out because holy crap, Hot Doctor rode motorcycles and had apparently been doing it for a while. He didn’t even know how to process this new tidbit of information except to cross off all his mental notes about Hot Doctor possibly needing to get out and stop being a nerd.

(not that he could really say anything if Hot Doctor did turn out to be a boring nerd who just laid around all day and did nothing but study medical journals or whatever—Hiro was probably the poster child for recluse nerds so it wasn’t like he had any advice on how to have fun outside of his garage.)

“It’s not going to fall if you’re worried,” Hot Doctor commented, probably confused as to why Hiro had been intently staring down his motorcycle.

“N-No,” Hiro stammered, blushing, “I’m not worried about that.”

Hot Doctor looked at him as if trying to tell if he was lying or not, but after a second he seemed to shrug it off with a smile. “So, I’ve been thinking about how to get you on there without hurting something else, and… well, do you trust me?”

“Yes,” Hiro said unthinkingly. His eyes widened seconds after because, oh God, that was too quick of an answer—normal people would’ve stopped and thought about it first and ugh, it was too late now, god his life.

Hot Doctor stared at him, mouth falling open slightly in obvious surprise. But after heart-stopping minute where Hiro mentally chanted _please don’t think I’m weird_ repeatedly, the man just smiled again, looking away with his own blush dusting his cheeks.

“Okay,” Hot Doctor said, his smile growing until it was a grin. “Okay, that’s really…” he trailed off, biting his lip to stop his next words.

Hiro wanted to cover his face with his hands, or maybe just hobble away all together and hide somewhere until he was sure his mouth learned to stop blurting out things it wasn’t supposed to say. “Maybe I’ll just go and catch that bus after all,” Hiro said, voice breaking like he was just starting to go through puberty—and oh god, why.

He turned; ready to hobble away before Hot Doctor stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. “Oh no,” the man said through a laugh, his hand gripping Hiro’s shoulder, “no,” he repeated, “I’m taking you home. I offered and you asked, so no, definitely, this is going to happen.”

He manhandled Hiro (as gently as he had ever been manhandled in his whole entire life) until he was facing Hot Doctor’s really nice, leather clothed front. “I’m taking your crutches so hold on to me,” he advised, waiting patiently until Hiro placed his shaky, sweaty hands on Hot Doctor’s (really firm, god, was he firm _everywhere?_ ) shoulders to take his supports. Hiro couldn’t tell you what he did with those things after because, moments later Hot Doctor was bending down, one strong arm curling around Hiro’s lower back before he pulled Hiro into the smoothest bridal carry he had ever experienced in his whole 18 years.

“You okay?” Hot Doctor asked when Hiro scrambled to wrap his own arms around the man’s neck.

Hiro, who was woefully unprepared to be so close to the man’s disgustingly handsome face, could only bite down his whimper and nod. If this was his reaction when the man still had his helmet on, Hiro didn’t even want to think about how he would react without it.

“Alright,” Hot Doctor said, taking Hiro’s answer as an okay to move.

Hot Doctor smelled like sandalwood, leather, and green tea; he was so warm (and firm) against Hiro that it made Hiro want to just nuzzle his face into Hot Doctor’s neck and take a nice, long nap. He felt so safe being held by this man that it was a major disappointment when he was gently placed down on the back of the motorcycle.

“Hold on to this,” Hot Doctor said patting the side, “and swing your leg over.”

Hiro tried to do as he was told in the least awkwardest way he could manage, knowing immediately that his thighs were going to complain later.

“Good job,” Hot Doctor said, making Hiro turn back to him. He was smiling like a proud parent and Hiro wasn’t sure if he wanted to hit the man or feel proud himself. “Now here,” he handed Hiro a circular device the size of his palm that had a couple of buttons on one side and, when he flipped it over, what looked to be the start of one of those retro on-ear headphones.

“Carbon…” he muttered as he ran a hand over the shiny surface, noting how heavy it was for such a small thing.

“Carbon coating,” Hot Doctor corrected, “the inside is slightly more complicated.”

He looked up at the man, “What is it?”

Hot Doctor grinned, “A helmet.”

“Uhm…”

“Just put it on and press the big button okay,” Hot Doctor said with a snort.

Hiro grinned and moved to place the thing over his ear. The fit was comfortable, but he forgot all about the feel when the thing came to life at the touch of a button. It grew from the earpiece to move around the back of his neck and clicking out piece by piece until it covered his entire head. Once it was fully formed, a light turned on from somewhere inside as the airbag type material started inflating, acting as the padding between him and everything else. He touched the outside cautiously, expecting rough parts but only coming in contact with what was definitely a smooth carbon coating.

“Where’s the glass though?” Hiro asked, not sure which way to look.

“Tap the button again,” Hot Doctor said, his voice coming crystal clear through the earpiece that had started the whole transformation.

Hiro followed the man’s instructions and squinted when a horizontal screen flickered to life, letting him see the world through what looked like dark, tinted glass. To his added surprise, a smaller rectangular screen also popped up on the side, Hot Doctor’s grinning face being shown against the background of the inside of his very own dimly lit helmet.

“This is pretty cool,” Hiro praised, his fingers already itching to take it apart.

Hot Doctor grinned, “Yeah? You’ll have to thank my friend then,” he commented as he moved to swing himself back on the bike, “she came up with the design. The only thing I did was come up with the padding and a few other little things.”

“Ah, that explains the airbag material,” Hiro mused, adding ‘how do you help make a helmet?? You’re a doctor??’ to his list of ‘questions to ask Hot Doctor’ while unabashedly staring at Hot Doctor’s broad, leather covered back while the man searched his pockets. He was well on his way to imagining how the man’s muscles would feel under his fingertips before the man turned to face him, holding out his phone where a GPS program was activated and already asking for an address. “I’m surprised you don’t know where I live,” Hiro muttered as he took the device.

“That would be creepy, Mr. Hamada,” Hot Doctor commented, sounding more like he would laugh than take offense, “and the material is not exactly the same as the kind that goes into airbags.”

“Oh?” Hiro asked quietly as he minimized the program. He bit his lip in indecision before taking a leap and bringing up Hot Doctor’s messaging app.

“It’s mostly made of nylon, yes, but it’s also mixed with five percent cotton,” Hot Doctor went on, blind to Hiro’s intentions, “just to be nicer on the skin.”

Just as he finished talking, an automated voice spoke up, giving directions to the Lucky Cat Café.

“Here,” Hiro said, handing Hot Doctor his phone back, “and nice,” he praised, mentally sighing in relief for his choice in texting his phone instead of calling, “you managed to link the phone to the helmets. Does static ever interfere with the connection?”

“Nope, we figured that out somewhere in the middle of making the padding material,” Hot Doctor said as he pocketed his phone again and turned to face the front, none the wiser to Hiro’s sneaking around, “now, wrap your arms around me, please.”

Hiro blinked but didn’t have to be told twice, moving until he could wrap his thin arms around Hot Doctor’s (really firm, ugh _god_ ) stomach. He tried hard not to cling as he closed his eyes and gave a mental sigh at the warmth pressed up against his body—this was probably going to be the only time he got this close to the man and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.

“I’m turning on the machine.”

“Are you going to give me a play-by-play?” Hiro teased, grinning when he heard the man chuckle. He didn’t bother opening his eyes to the other’s expression, choosing to focus instead on the machine underneath him; he had expected the sound of the motorcycle to be loud enough to hurt his ears, but to his surprise, it only came out as a quiet, background purr. “Huh,” he murmured, curious despite himself.

“Sound’s suppressed as well,” Hot Doctor said a bit too late, his voice coming in crystal clear despite his warning.

“Was that your idea, too? Saving people’s hearing and all that?”

Hot Doctor chuckled, “You know me so well,” he said, “I did come up with it, yes. It’s only too bad that the only hearing it’ll be saving is ours.”

“Ever the good doctor,” Hiro drawled, trying to appear nonchalant as the motorcycle started moving underneath him. He was usually all for fast moving vehicles but with one foot not able to find traction to hold on to, it suddenly didn’t seem as attractive anymore.

“That’s right,” Hot Doctor said, his voice a comforting croon, “so don’t worry, if the carbon coating and the airbag material doesn’t save your big head, I’m here.”

“I’m not scared,” Hiro said, practically challenging the man to deny his statement.

“Didn’t say you were,” Hot Doctor replied without missing a beat, “I’m just giving you insurance.”

“I don’t know if I want insurance from a doctor who makes fun of the size of my head,” Hiro commented offhandedly, trying not to smile when Hot Doctor’s laughter poured into his ear. It helped to smooth out some of his nerves, but when the motorcycle tilted sideways a little in order to turn, his frazzled nerves were back and jumping.

“So,” he asked with a gulp, tightening his arms around Hot Doctor’s stomach, “why carbon?”

Hot Doctor, as if understanding Hiro’s need, immediately started telling the story of his friend’s initial choice of a thin sheet of steel and why it wasn’t as ideal as something that could take the impact, absorb it, and crack on collision.

Hiro took a deep breath and focused on his voice, forcing himself to relax; Hot Doctor was babbling for him, he realized, and he’d be damned if his nerves ruined his ability to enjoy it.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- how do you help make a helmet?? You’re a doctor??  
> (Q tally: 7)  
> [dashi's motorcycle](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7wdfsw0zScg/TOirtTaHh9I/AAAAAAAAGMI/co_Yy6S-hK4/s1600/2011%20Ducati%20848%20Evo%20Better%20than%20the%201198,%20for%20the%20street.jpg)


	7. being alone is better with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the time they got to the street the cafe was on, Hiro was fully prepared to send Hot Doctor on his merry way home. Sure, he wasn’t really happy about their unavoidable goodbye, but Hiro had a sinking feeling that Hot Doctor was those kinds of people, and by those kinds of people he meant the kind who always tried to help and didn’t know when to stop even when they were on the verge of passing out.
> 
> If Hiro didn’t hobble away from him at the first sign of—wait, where were his crutches?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this was a bit late, but i did say it was going to be updated today and it's still today (8:36PM) here for me so hah! still counts, i didn't slip off the schedule ^q^b
> 
> i'm glad you guys enjoyed my nerdiest chapter to date haha, here's hoping that you'll enjoy this one just as much~
> 
> Disclaimer: i don't own bh6 (if i did no one would die ok, eff that); also: un-beta'd

 —X—

 

By the time they got to the street the cafe was on, Hiro was fully prepared to send Hot Doctor on his merry way home. Sure, he wasn’t really happy about their unavoidable goodbye, but Hiro had a sinking feeling that Hot Doctor was _those_ kinds of people, and by those kinds of people he meant the kind who always tried to help and didn’t know when to stop even when they were on the verge of passing out.

If Hiro didn’t hobble away from him at the first sign of—wait, where were his crutches?

“So, question.”

“Hmm?” Hot Doctor asked when they came to a stop at a red light.

“Does this motorcycle have a secret compartment big enough to hold my crutches, or are you just hiding them in your jacket or something?”

Hot Doctor blinked before meeting Hiro’s eyes through the helmet. He grinned, but instead of looking charming, he looked like a kid who had gotten his hand stuck in the cookie jar. “Uhm…”

Hiro gave him his best unimpressed look but didn’t say anything about what he suspected the man had done.

Hot Doctor chuckled, “Don’t worry,” he said just as the light turned green.

Hiro didn’t say anything, only choosing to turn his nose up with a loud ‘hmph.’

The streets were busy and the sides were lined with parked cars—probably thanks to the fact that there was a convention happening a couple of blocks away—but Hot Doctor managed to find parking within five minutes. “The perks of having a motorcycle,” he said as he smoothly rode into a tight spot in-between two other cars.

“Way better than a car,” Hiro commented, vaguely remembering a snippet of a memory from when his parents were still alive.

“Oh yeah, definitely better than a car,” Hot Doctor said, the bitterness in his voice jolting Hiro out of the past. There was a story behind that, he realized, but right now definitely wasn’t the right time to ask. Hot Doctor turned off his motorcycle, but by the tenseness of his shoulders, Hiro could tell that he was still thinking about whatever it was that Hiro had brought up with his comment.

Unsure about what to say, he instead gently placed his hand on the man’s back, spreading out his fingers. During the times where Hiro would feel too much, his aunt would just sit with him quietly with her hand on his back. It was her way of showing that she was here for him, and it always worked.

Hot Doctor, however, didn’t relax under his touch. Hiro wondered if he had gone too far, but then Hot Doctor met his eyes through the helmet’s screen before taking a deep breath and releasing. No words were shared between them, but when the man managed a tentative smile, Hiro didn’t waste a single moment in smiling back.

Hot Doctor looked away first, moving to smoothly slide off his motorcycle. He disengaged his helmet, sliding it into the pocket of his jacket when it was back to its miniaturized size. “Okay,” he said, “let’s get you inside.”

Hiro, remembering their previous conversation, switched back to pouting. “Just help me get off this thing; you can leave me here, I’ll hop myself home.”

“I don’t mind carrying you,” Hot Doctor said with a small smile that looked closer to his brand of normal. Hiro made to pout and look away again but before he could, the man lifted a hand to cradle Hiro’s head (or rather, helmet). He blushed furiously, wondering what the man was thinking before a press of a button had his own helmet disengaging, folding backwards over his head piece by piece until he was just wearing the earpiece again; “Hello again,” the man greeted as he gently eased the earpiece off Hiro’s ear, slipping it into his pocket with the other one.

Hiro was about to complain before he looked up at the man, taking in his handsome face and his now messy helmet hair. The inky black strands stuck up in weird places probably thanks to static electricity, but instead of looking ridiculous, it just made him look more adorable. On top of that, however, it also highlighted Hot Doctor’s prominent ears, which Hiro didn’t know how he had missed before, but now that he knew they were there, he couldn’t seem to make himself stop staring.

“What?” Hot Doctor asked, his cheeks turning a soft red when Hiro grinned up at him.

“Your ears,” Hiro said nonchalantly, watching with amusement when Hot Doctor clasped both hands over them. “No,” he said, “they’re cute,” he reached up and tugged the man’s arms down, revealing his points of obvious insecurity.

“I used to get teased for them when I was smaller,” Hot Doctor admitted in an almost shy manner, his eyes downcast.

Hiro just shook his head, “Kids are mean,” he commented disappointingly, knowing firsthand just how cruel they could be, “they were probably just jealous that their ears weren’t as adorable as yours.”

“You think?” He asked, his shy demeanor making Hiro simultaneously want to hug the man and beat up every person who had teased him.

“Definitely,” Hiro said with a firm nod.

Hot Doctor’s smile grew and damn if Hiro’s poor heart wasn’t affected. It really wasn’t fair for this one man to have this much power over him, he thought as he smiled back; Hot Doctor was dangerous. He cleared his throat and prayed that his face wasn’t as flustered looking as he felt as he looked away. “So are you going to help me off, or am I going to have to have a go at actually breaking my leg?”

The man’s laugh made the people walking by turn, some of them unabashedly staring with open mouths. He didn’t blame them, Hot Doctor was hot, but when he was laughing, he was gorgeous.

“You’re a menace, did you know that?” Hiro commented blithely.

The man’s laughter tapered down to a grin as he tilted his head to the side in question, “How so?”

“If you don’t understand, I’m not going to explain it to you.”

“Ah, you sound like my cousin,” he said as he walked to Hiro’s side, “here, hold on to me and swing your leg over.”

Hiro didn’t spare a single moment in touching the man again. Placing his hand on the man’s chest, he tried hard to make the whole operation look smooth and coordinated. “Your cousin sounds like she’s right and… I think my legs are actually asleep,” he muttered when he was sitting sidesaddle on the motorcycle.

“Well, there goes your plan to hop inside.”

Hiro looked up at him, eyes narrowing suspiciously at his tone, “Wha—“

“I hope you didn’t have high hops for them.”

Hiro tried not to laugh, he really did. He had aimed for groaning at the pun, but God, Hot Doctor’s stupid face and the way his eyes stupidly lit up when he said it—there was no way Hiro could do anything else _but_ laugh.

“That was horrible!” He scolded through his giggles.

Hot Doctor shrugged, looking unrepentant and proud, “At least I can say that I had tried, and hey, you’re laughing. I’m counting this as a win.”

Hiro grinned as he wiped away the tears from his eyes, “You’re such a—I don’t even have the words, jeez.”

The man matched his grin, looking so pleased with himself that Hiro couldn’t help shaking his head at the endearing sight. When the man turned, crouched down, and offered his back, Hiro allowed himself to slide forward, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck. Hot Doctor gently caught his legs, making sure that Hiro was really hanging on before he stood and started walking.

“So, what happened to my crutches anyway?” Hiro asked, trying to hide the fact that he was discreetly sniffing the man’s hair (sandalwood and green tea, stronger this time and damn if Hiro wasn’t going to try finding whatever brand of soap he used after this).

“Oh, I left those at the hospital,” Hot Doctor said, and Hiro was right, the man was completely unrepentant. “There wasn’t any room on my motorcycle so I just left them outside and paged one of the nurses to pick them up,” Hot Doctor explained, “I had figured that, with your history, you’d already have crutches at home?”

Hiro pursed his lips because damn, the man was right. He had a pharmacy’s worth of crutches in the closet in his room thanks to all the accidents he had brought upon himself.

“If I’m wrong I’ll be happy to ride down to the nearest store and buy some for you,” Hot Doctor continued his tone completely innocent.

Hiro wasn’t fooled however because from his position hanging off the man’s back like a limpet, he could clearly see the beginnings of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Hot Doctor was a menace, Hiro thought to himself, a smart menace. “They were red though,” he said, knowing it was a cheap shot and completely willing to take it regardless.

“Favorite color?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Hiro blinked, “Uh no, purple is my favorite, red is second—and I was excited because red crutches? I never got red crutches before; they were all that boring gray color.”

He pouted again when the man chuckled. “I’ll remember. How about I get you another bag of gummy bears as compensation then?”

Hiro brightened up at the offer, “Yes, yes, a hundred times yes!” He exclaimed before he could stop himself. He realized a split second later how loud he had been and shrunk down, avoiding looking at the people who had stopped and stared. Hot Doctor had no such problems however, his laugh an easy thing to focus on as it washed over him.

 “I’m adding this onto my growing list of grievances, just so you know,” Hiro muttered, still embarrassed.

“Why, did you prefer the bridal carry?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding amused.

Hiro felt like hitting him, “I don’t even know why I first thought you were innocence incarnated, you’re obviously evil.”

“That wasn’t a ‘no’,” the man teased.

 _No it wasn’t,_ Hiro thought to himself; if he had said no, he would’ve been lying.

.

The bells hanging above the door chimed merrily when they walked in. The place was filled with no seat left empty and plenty of people standing by the sides as if they were waiting for an opening to pounce.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said she needed help,” Hot Doctor commented, moving to join the others when he quickly realized that he was blocking the door.

Hiro nodded, slightly surprised despite himself. He had seen busy, but this was ridiculous. From his spot though, he could still see some of the regulars sitting around and relaxed at the thought. They weren’t all strangers and he was home— _he was home,_ he reassured himself—if anyone here talked bad to him or about him, his aunt would throw them out before they could even blink.

(“I refuse to service anyone like that,” she had told him, “this is your home and I will not stand for anyone talking trash about you here.” Hiro had found that she wasn’t kidding either, his aunt was not afraid of throwing people out for him and that fact had been groundbreaking for him.)

“Ah!” His aunt’s exclamation jolted him out of his reverie, his eyes following the sound until it landed on his only guardian who was standing behind the counter. Hiro felt himself smile before that smile was replaced with panic when his aunt shouted the beginnings of Hiro’s nickname for the man currently holding him. “Hot D—“ she said before managing to stop herself with a squeak, but it was too late, the damage was done. “H-Hot day today, right,” she stuttered, sending Hiro apologetic looks as she picked up a napkin and started fanning herself, “wow, today is just—yeah, so hot.”

“Uhm, yeah…” Hot Doctor said, playing along but sounding understandingly confused considering that it was probably cold enough for snow outside.

Cass just smiled as she walked toward them, “You gave Hiro a ride home, that’s very sweet of you Doctor,” she said, “please stay, I can’t offer you a seat but the pastries are fresh and the coffee is hot—on the house, just for you!”

Hiro frowned at his aunt, “No,” he said, and he would’ve crossed his arms too if they weren’t currently holding on to the man of his dreams.

“Hiro!” Cass scolded, “Don’t be rude!”

“The doctor isn’t staying,” Hiro responded with a stubborn pout, “he’s only slept like three hours, he needs to go home and sleep.” That and Hiro honestly didn’t know how he would react to seeing Hot Doctor working in the café. Hiro had been prepared to say goodbye after the motorcycle ride; if he was forced to watch Hot Doctor move around what was basically a part of his home, Hiro didn’t even think he could let the man leave; Hot Doctor needed to go.

“I’m right here,” Hot Doctor said, his voice holding a smile that Hiro could only see the corners of, “and really, I’m fine. You look like you need help—“ Hiro groaned because he saw this coming from a mile away, “—and I’m free, so just say the word.”

Hiro wanted to shake the man violently while screaming ‘STOP BEING SO GOOD’. “Aunt Cass has me,” he said instead.

“Your aunt looks like she needs a waiter,” Hot Doctor said, his tone utterly determined—and damn, if Hiro had learned a thing or two from today, it was the fact that this man was like a Rottweiler with a bone when he wanted something. “I’m really happy that you’re worried about me, but honestly, I slept while waiting for you to get up; I’ll be fine.” He turned his head to send Cass the full power of his stare, “What do you say, Ms. Hamada?”

Hiro glared at her over Hot Doctor’s deliciously broad shoulder, daring her to say yes.

Cass bit her lip, “…well…”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- why do you not like cars?  
> (Q tally: 8)


	8. (we're) halfway there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I am not happy about this,” Hiro muttered after he finished running a group through the cashier.
> 
> Aunt Cass, who stood leaning against the counter during her break, giggled. “Maybe you aren’t, but I certainly am,” she said, not taking her eyes off Hot Doctor. The man, who was delivering food to a table, attracted the gaze of nearly everyone inside the shop. Hell, Hiro was sure that some people had actually walked in after spotting him, just for a chance to be served by the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's 10:22PM so this technically isn't late either :p
> 
> **also#1:** warning/reminder: like a tiny consent issue/tw: for dashi being groped by costumers (but nothing too bad ok, i promise)  && hidashi is endgame. hiro's interest is in no way onesided ;D  
>  **also#2:** i may joke around, but dashi isn't lying when he says that he slept while waiting for hiro to get up ok. he didn't get the full 8 hours, but he _did_ sleep. ~~i'm not that evil~~
> 
> ok, whoo i think that's it. this chapter had a lot of edits too + it's 6 pages (wuuut), so to the re-readers have fun haha  
> && enjoy~
> 
> Disclaimer: i don't own bh6; un-beta'd (like always ugh)

—X—

 

“I am **not** happy about this,” Hiro muttered after he finished running a group through the cashier.

Aunt Cass, who stood leaning against the counter during her break, giggled. “Maybe you aren’t, but I certainly am,” she said, not taking her eyes off Hot Doctor. The man, who was delivering food to a table, attracted the gaze of nearly everyone inside the shop. Hell, Hiro was sure that some people had actually walked in after spotting him, just for a chance to be served by the man.

Not that Hiro could blame them though. The man had taken off his leather jacket and had donned a standard Lucky Cat Café apron. Hiro had, at first, thought it was going to look ridiculous on him (something had to right, come on he couldn’t look good in _everything_ ), but the only ridiculous it was, was ridiculously attractive. Hot Doctor had only been wearing a plain white, v-neck under his jacket, and it was tight enough to hug the planes of his chest and arms. The man wasn’t buff, but he obviously wasn’t skinny either—he had muscle and the blasted apron he had donned just served to accentuate them.

Then there was just his entire personality. Hot Doctor was hot yes, but then he smiled or responded to a question and it would be obvious that he was more than his looks. Hiro propped his chin up by his hands as he watched the man, he knew that Hot Doctor had said that he had been teased as a kid, but Hiro was sure that he was also the kid at the playground that all the other kids flocked to. His bullies must’ve been either jealous of his popularity or wanted to monopolize his attention for themselves; though Hiro didn’t agree with the latter’s way of going about it, he could understand them both.

Still, Hiro didn’t approve of the current situation at all. He had had to sit there watching as men and women groped Hot Doctor—it was blatant sexual harassment and if he could walk over there without looking like an idiot, he’d tell them so. The man didn’t allow it more than once of course, always pulling away and saying something that Hiro couldn’t hear but was obviously firm enough to get the person to stop. No one had groped the man twice, but some people switched tactics from groping to fleeting touches and violent eye flutters—as if they thought that if their hands met a lot and they looked like they were about to have a heart attack it would get the man more interested in them.

The women were worse, he thought quietly to himself. Some of them were disgustingly persistent, always calling him over for the littlest things so that they could flirt with him. Hot Doctor however, being the gentleman that he was, endured it all with a gracious smile and comments that made them laugh and made Hiro want to break something.

“He has to sleep,” Hiro groused, unable to stop himself from glaring when a girl started running a hand down Hot Doctor’s bicep. Honestly, didn’t these people know basic personal space?! He blamed Hot Doctor for this, him and his stupid looks and his stupid mannerisms and his stupid want to help people—this was all his fault.

“They keep touching him,“ he muttered more to himself than anyone else, “why do they keep touching him?”

Cass rolled her eyes, “Hiro honey, if you have to ask yourself that question, you’re more hopeless than I had thought.”

Hiro hmph’ed and ripped his eyes away from the man before he did something stupid (like scream, “don’t touch him he’s miNE!” to the whole place) and tried to focus on the next group of payers. He had thought that the crowd would’ve dwindled down after lunch, but it was nearing four now and the people never seemed to stop. It was good for Aunt Cass, that was for sure, but Hiro worried about Hot Doctor. He had said that he had slept while waiting for Hiro to wake up and he believed him—he did—but Hiro had calculated it all in his head and he was sure that just a mere 4 hours of sleep and an unhealthy amount of coffee wouldn’t be enough to keep the man going.

He could actually see the physical repercussions that helping was having on the man; it was barely noticeable but Hot Doctor had started slowing down during the lunch hour. His steps weren’t as sure as they had been that morning, his movements sluggish, and Hiro had watched him place down the wrong order in front of several people now. If Hot Doctor weren’t bigger and probably physically stronger than he was, Hiro would’ve dragged him off to sleep a long time ago.

“I’m fine,” Hot Doctor had told him over his fifth coffee break around ten minutes ago, and sure, he was attentive enough to the customers ( _too_ attentive, if Hiro had anything to say about it), and they weren’t getting any complaints about his work—mistakes or not, but Hiro refused to budge.

“He’s not going to make it for the dinner rush,” he told Cass when the last customer in his line was served, “he’s going to pass out and then we’re going to have to take him to the hospital for falling asleep on broken glass or something.”

“I know,” Cass sighed, “you’re not the only one watching him kiddo.” She turned and ruffled his hair, smiling when he whined and batted her away, “but don’t worry, one of my workers arrived home early and promised to come in soon.”

Hiro sighed in relief and looked down to start organizing the money into the correct trays, “Okay,” he mumbled, still not happy but willing to compromise, “We definitely owe him more than a cup of coffee and a pastry for this, you know.”

Cass giggled, “Don’t worry; I’m willing to offer him anything up to your hand in marriage.”

Hiro blushed and slammed the register door louder than he had intended, “AUNT CASS!”

She broke out into full out laughter leaving Hiro to scowl through his blush—a blush that grew heavier when Hot Doctor turned at the sound and met his gaze from across the room. His raised eyebrow asked a question, but Hiro just shook his head, mentally cursing everything.

**God,** his _life_.

 

.

 

When his aunt’s employee came in, Cass dismissed both Hiro and Hot Doctor, thanking the latter profusely.

“I should go,” Hot Doctor said, looking wrecked now that he wasn’t in the public’s eye.

“You should not,” Hiro said stubbornly as nudged the man toward the stairs with one of his crutches, “you’re exhausted—which seriously, you need to learn how to stop yourself from helping— and I never thought I would ever say that to somebody, so congratulations nerd.”

“I don’t regret it,” Hot Doctor replied, his smile still bright and honest despite the haggard quality his face had taken. “And it’s okay, I’ve been tired-er before…” he looked confused for a second, “is that even a word?”

Hiro, despite his anger, couldn’t help his amusement. “I don’t know, we’ll look it up in the morning okay,” he said as they reached the death traps leading up to the second floor. The man, despite being obviously exhausted, was still helping Hiro, one warm hand placed on the small of his back to make sure that he didn’t fall and actually break something as they took the gradual steps upward together.

“I can do this myself, if you haven’t noticed I’m quite skilled with crutches,” Hiro told the man, cursing his cheeks for betraying him with a blush.

“I know,” Hot Doctor said, reassuring, “I’m doing this for me.”

“Again with your so-called selfish reasons,” Hiro muttered, shooting the man a look when he chuckled.

“Me and my selfish reasons,” he murmured, more to himself than to Hiro.

Hiro rolled his eyes and kept nudging the man until they reached the living room. “Lay down,” he all but demanded. Hot Doctor sat but by the time Hiro hobbled back with a blanket in his hands, the man’s upper body was lying horizontal while his feet were still firmly planted on the ground. “Just give up and go to sleep already,” Hiro told him.

“No,” Hot Doctor complained, tired eyes blinking slowly, “I can’t,” he said even as Hiro was pulling off his shoes and pulling at his legs until he was finally fully laying on the couch.

“Its fine,” Hiro soothed, fluffing up a throw pillow and helping nudge it under Hot Doctor’s head. “You don’t have to stay the night, just take a nap.”

“Will you wake me in ten minutes?” Hot Doctor mumbled.

“Sure, sure,” Hiro lied as he unfolded the blanket and threw it over the Hot Doctor’s prone figure.

“…’romise…?”

Hiro paused and stared down at the man who was barely hanging on to the threads of wakefulness. “When do you have to go back to work?”

Hot Doctor looked confused for a moment, brow furrowing as he thought. “Today is…,” he mumbled, “yesterday was last night?” Hiro, who didn’t even know what the man was talking about anymore, stifled a laugh. “Tomorrow,” The man said after another second, sounding more questioning than sure.

“Are you sure?’ Hiro asked, unable to stop the tease.

Hot Doctor looked confused for a second more, eyes squinting at nothing as he thought; “I… yes…?”

Hiro chuckled, “Alright, good enough for me.”

Hot Doctor looked back at him; expression turned hopeful, “Ten minutes?”

Hiro grinned and shook his head, “Nope,” he said before moving to kneel on the floor by the man’s head, giving in to the urge to sink his hand into the man’s hair. It felt as soft and silky as it looked and had the added bonus of having Hot Doctor pout up at him even as his eyes were fluttering closed.

“Evil,” he mumbled before finally succumbing to sleep.

How one man could be so adorable, Hiro didn’t know. Looking around quickly, he bit down on his lip before moving his hand from Hot Doctor’s hair down to his face. He rubbed his thumb over the man’s jaw and reveled in the feel of stubble there—he wondered what it would feel like brushing against his face.

As if picking up on his subconscious thoughts, Hot Doctor let out a little sound in his sleep, nudging his face more into Hiro’s hand as he subconsciously nuzzled it.

God, how was he this adorable, Hiro didn’t even think this level of cute was even possible for someone who looked like he had just walked off a magazine cover. Sexy—sexy would’ve been understandable, if he managed to look sexy in his sleep somehow, Hiro wouldn’t even be surprised. But _this_ , this _adorableness_ , it definitely wasn’t fair.

He moved his hand to brush Hot Doctor’s bangs away from his forehead, wanting to remember the feel of that soft hair on his skin forever. “You’re dangerous for my heart,” Hiro murmured, leaning in, “I’ve never wanted to never say goodbye to someone before, you jerk.” He gave a sad little laugh, “I should have you take responsibility.”

Eyelashes fluttered at his words, but Hot Doctor didn’t wake.

Hiro spent the next couple of minutes stroking his hair gently while drinking in the sight of his sleeping face. He looked younger, less burdened somehow, and Hiro had to quell the want to just climb onto the couch and fall asleep curled in the man’s arms.

“Well, since this is probably going to be the last time I see you like this…” Hiro took a deep breath and tried to gather his courage. He gave another quick cursory glance around the room before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Hot Doctor’s mouth. It was the softest of touches but it was enough for Hiro’s stomach to clench and bubble with happiness. He pulled away slowly with a bright smile and a blush to match it, savoring the feeling until the last of the warmth disappeared from his lips.

“Merry Christmas,” he murmured to himself as he moved to stand with the help of one of his crutches. He picked up his other crutch and made to hobble carefully back downstairs but before he left the room, he turned around and rummaged through his pockets for his phone.

There was a moment of silence before the shutter sound of a camera filled the room.

 

.

 

Hiro woke up the next morning and just laid there listening to the hustle and bustle coming from downstairs.

He wanted to get up and watch Hot Doctor wake up, he wanted to see if the man walked around like the dead, or if he was one of those people who just stood up ready to seize the day. He wanted to see how Hot Doctor reacted to breakfast, if he aimed for the pancakes first or if he passed it all up until after his cup of coffee. Hiro wanted to laugh with him, wanted to bid him a good day, wanted to kiss him on his way to work or wherever it was he was planning on going this morning, Hiro wanted—

He closed his eyes and sighed.

Hiro wanted so many things that he knew if he went down there, he would never let Hot Doctor leave.

So, when Aunt Cass knocked on his bedroom door and tried to wake him, Hiro just rolled over and pulled his comforter over his head. He traced his lips when Aunt Cass asked him to at least say goodbye, and stayed there hiding until he heard two pairs of footsteps fade downstairs. He didn’t even realize he had stiffened until the sound of a motorcycle drove by, the sound becoming smaller and smaller until Hiro couldn’t hear it anymore.

He didn’t say goodbye and he told himself that that was just fine.

Sure, he wouldn’t see Hot Doctor again—unless he broke or ripped open something else on his body maybe—but there was desperate and there was _desperate_. Hiro wasn’t going to hurt himself to see the man but, he thought quietly as he rolled onto his back, he really wouldn’t mind another accident right now.

“In the meanwhile,” he murmured to himself as he grabbed his phone from the other side of his bed. Unlocking it, he smiled sadly at his wallpaper—the picture of sleeping Hot Doctor he had taken last night, “at least I have you.” He stared at it before curling into a ball, laughing. “I am so creepy, jeez,” he wiped a tear from his eye and told himself that it would be okay as he got up and got ready for the day.

 

.

 

“I still have his business card,” Aunt Cass told him while he finished breakfast.

Hiro smiled at her, “Thanks, but I already got his number.”

Aunt Cass’ mouth opened in shock before turning into a wide smile, “That’s my nephew!”

Hiro looked sheepish, “I don’t think you’d be proud of how I got it though,” he admitted.

She blinked, her smile falling, “How’d you get it?”

Hiro blushed and sank into his chair, “I sort of snooped through his phone…”

Cass stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

“It’s not like I’m going to use it!” Hiro said, defending his non-existent honor with a grin.

Cass just gave him a look, “You were right in telling me not to give you that card. Who knows what you’d do with that much information.”

Hiro just laughed.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 8)


	9. i don't know where you're going (or when you're coming home)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Aunt Cass who gave him hope.
> 
> "He knows where we live, right?" She had said, "And we own a cafe, Hiro. That man has to eat sooner or later, and what is there to say that it won’t be here."
> 
> Hiro had tried (really, really) hard not to let himself expect, but when she had said that to him, it was as if a switch flicked in his head. He wasn’t desperate enough to hurt himself for another hospital trip, but maybe– just maybe Hot Doctor would visit without it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhahahahahahahahaha, just know that i have no regrets and will not apologize for the places i push hiro into.  
> i think a good word to explain this chapter is hi _trash_ i ;D  
> enjoY~
> 
> disclaimer: hey. i don't own bh6. stop asking me; also: un-beta'd

—X—

 

It was Aunt Cass who gave him hope.

"He knows where we live, right?" She had said, "And we own a cafe, Hiro. That man has to eat sooner or later, and what is there to say that it won’t be here."

Hiro had tried (really, _really_ ) hard not to let himself expect, but when she had said that to him, it was as if a switch flicked in his head. He wasn’t desperate enough to hurt himself for another hospital trip, but maybe– just _maybe_ Hot Doctor would visit without it.

 

.

 

A month and sixteen days later and Hiro did meet Hot Doctor again; it just wasn’t in the cafe.                   

 

.

 

In the month and sixteen days, Hiro had spent the majority of the time working in the café.

He hadn’t worked this much for his aunt since forever and if he had a yen for every time someone commented on his unusual work schedule, he’d probably have enough to buy their neighbors’ houses and expand the café like his aunt always wanted. The only person who understood Hiro’s reasons however, was Cass; she knew that he usually disliked working at the café because of the people and that doing so tired him out, but he just waved off her concerns when she brought them up. While it was true that he didn’t like dealing with the new people, the regulars he’d known since he was younger weren’t a problem.

What he hated most however, was the fact that he felt like a freaking dog. Every time that door would open he would turn, excitement and hope rising—before it plummeted sharply down when he realized that it wasn’t the person he had been waiting for. Hiro knew that he shouldn’t have expectations (he always ended up disappointed), but regardless, he couldn’t find it in himself to stop either.

However, a month and sixteen days was a long time to hope and be disappointed so on the end of the sixteen days of the month, Hiro went out and did something he knew would never disappoint him.

He went bot fighting.

It was with dying hope and a want for recklessness that Hiro looked up bot fighting times around the city. The closest one was a bit far and he would have to walk the way home considering how late some bot fights ended, but he figured the walk would do him good and left the comforts of his home with his old sweatshirt layered underneath one of his thicker jackets and Megabot in hand. Four hours later and he had won every match, duping Yama for everything he had. If he were smarter, he would’ve stopped after the third round against Yama’s goons, but when the men came, so did the money and Hiro had been running on the rush of adrenaline from the satisfaction flowing to his head.

After, he had tried his best to take the money and run, but while Yama wasn’t the smartest wannabe gang leader around, he was smart enough to have men at the ready to jump Hiro after everything was over.

Good thing Hiro had been expecting it. He made sure to blend in with the leaving crowd and took a different alley out; his slenderness meant that he was light and quick on his feet but in the end, he was still skin and bones against their muscles and Hiro wasn’t stupid. After a while of running however, Hiro realized that they really weren’t going to give up this time. Going up in an actual fight against them would probably put him back in the hospital so, in an act of desperation, he threw himself at the next dumpster, falling in with a harsh thud just in time to hear the men turn the corner and run past.

That was how he found himself hours after the bot fight had ended, sitting on the cleanest part in the alleyway dumpster (a.k.a. a trash bag laying on the top of a pile) massaging his probably newly sprained ankle and sporting what was probably a horrific amount of bruises to his body. He still had his bot and he still had what was probably thousands of yen stuffed in his cargo pant pockets, but he was far away from home and, while he was sure that Yama and his gang were far away by now, there was little to no chance of him pulling himself out.

“Crap,” he muttered, wincing when something under his foot gave a particularly nasty _squelch_. “Might as well get this over with,” he sighed as he searched his pockets for his phone; he needed help and less time that he spent sitting with the trash, the better.

Painfully bringing up the dialer, he (foolishly, without looking) tapped a button and pressed call. He tried to prepare himself for Aunt Cass’ lecturing while he listened to the dial tone; he was sure that he would also have to deal with her stress eating and questions about why he had gone out again, but that was okay. Hiro was ready to accept  any and all consequences if it meant that he could take a hot shower and curl up in his bed for a couple of years.

When the call connected however, it wasn’t Aunt Cass on the other line.

“Hullo?”

Rough with sleep and so, _so_ familiar that it made Hiro’s gut ache, “Oh no,” he whimpered before he could stop himself.

“Who—wait, Mr. Hamada?”

Hiro ended the call with a wince, squeezing his eyes shut because _oh crap, oh crap_ he had just called Hot Doctor. He didn’t even know what he was thinking when he had put the man’s phone number under his number 2 speed dial but it was probably the second most stupidest thing he had ever done after accidentally calling him. He had promised himself not to ever use the number—the number that Hot Doctor hadn’t even **given him** —the number that he had snooped through the man’s phone to get—but it was too late _, it was too late_ and—

Oh God, the man was calling him **back**!

Hiro pressed the ignore button before shouting at his stupidity. Ignored calls were all sent to his voicemail where he had a greeting set up with him saying his name; he had just basically proved to Hot Doctor that he was the biggest creeper around and, “GAH how much stupider can I get?!”

He slammed his face into his palm before wincing when it hit one of his new bruises. Oh God, this night literally couldn’t get any worse, he was sitting in a dumpster and—his phone vibrated again, Hot Doctor’s caller ID showing on the screen—and wow, the man he probably had the biggest, creepiest crush on now knew how much of a creeper he was and was probably calling him back to tell him he was filing for a restraining order or something. Hiro felt like crying and laughing at the same time, but managed to press the ignore button again, knowing that it was already too late to hide that it was indeed him who had called.

He stayed that way for the next handful of minutes, pressing the ignore button repeatedly with each call Hot Doctor tried to patch through. The man was a mule, he thought after call try number 33, he didn’t give up and Hiro didn’t know if that newly learned trait of his was more admirable or annoying.

“I’ll pick up on call 46,” he murmured to himself, wondering when he had gotten so bitter.

He didn’t make it to call 40 though because, after 38 tries, Hot Doctor started to flood his phone with texts.

‘Are you hurt?’

‘Please pick up’

‘Please Mr. Hamada, just tell me you’re not hurt’

‘you’re not home, are you?’

‘where are you, I can pick you up’

‘mr. hamada, please, just text me back’

‘are you hurt’

Each text was basically a variation of earlier ones and Hiro read them all with a tight chest and a pounding heart as all manners of grammar seemed to gradually diminish with each one he didn’t respond to. When Hot Doctor texted ‘please dont be hurt’, Hiro’s restraint broke and, before he could stop himself, he had already pressed call.

The dial tone barely got through the first one before Hot Doctor answered his voice breathy and filled with a mixture of disbelief and so much anxiety that Hiro didn’t have the heart to hang up again. “Hello? Mr. Hamada?”

Hiro squeezed his eyes shut and took in a shaky breath.

“S-Sorry,” he stuttered, “I called the wrong number.”

“No, no hey,” Hot Doctor said, “don’t be sorry, stay on the line and talk to me okay.”

“I’m not hurt,” Hiro said, not exactly lying. Sure, he was bruised and had maybe messed up his ankle again, but he wasn’t bleeding anywhere and that had to count for something, right?

“I’m not sure I believe you,” Hot Doctor answered honestly, “but please, just stay on the line, talk to me okay Mr. Hama—“

“It’s Hiro,” he interrupted, the words falling out of his mouth without his approval.

There was a long silence after that fried his nerves, but then Hot Doctor spoke again, his words warmer than before somehow. “Alright Hiro,” he murmured, his name sounding suddenly beautiful when the man said it, “Stay where you are, alright, I’ll come and get you.”

Hiro was about to sigh in relief before that relief turned into horror, his heart doing a lurch that he associated with the sudden drops on roller coasters. “What do you mean, come and get me?”

“I’ve tracked your phone, and please don’t tell me you’re alright when you’re sitting smack dab in the middle of an alley in the bad part of town.” Hot Doctor said all of this with his doctor voice again. His tone was professional and devoid of anything else but authority and it was strange to hear it not underlying a medical diagnosis; Hiro would’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so serious.

At that moment, instead of laughing he wanted to yell that he was fine, wanted to tell the man to leave him alone despite him being the one to call first. With the almost crippling relief bubbling in his chest however, all he could manage was a sigh and a hypocritical, “You’re really creepy, you know.”

Hot Doctor mimicked his sigh on the other line, “I know,” he said, but then he chuckled and Hiro had to bite down on his lip to prevent himself from saying something stupid. “But it looks like I’m not the only creepy one in this relationship,” he continued—unknowing to what his word choice did to Hiro’s health—“we still have to talk about how you got my number and why you haven’t used it all this time.”

“Only if we talk about why you haven’t been to the café,” Hiro replied petulantly, “you know where I live so why haven’t you visited?”

“Alright, then I guess we both have some explaining to do.” He said, sounding more amused than mad or flustered (like Hiro was, damn the man and his infallible good nature), “Now, you’ll have to tell me the extent of your injuries. Are you bleeding anywhere?”

“How do you know I’m injured?” Hiro shot back.

“Because you’re in an alleyway in the middle of the bad part of town and you haven’t moved since I started tracking you.”

Hiro winced before pouting into the phone, “Stop using your nerd skills to figure out my life!”

Hot Doctor just laughed, “Still waiting.”

Hiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair before grimacing. “I’m in a dumpster and I can’t get out,” he admitted, “I think I messed up my ankle again, but I can’t be sure. Other than that and a couple of bruises, I’m okay.”

“Okay,” Hot Doctor replied, exhaling deeply into the phone, “okay, I’m coming for you. Just sit tight and try not to move that ankle. I’ll be there in ten.”

“And I’ll be here,” Hiro quipped with a twist of his lips, “in the dumpster.”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor  
> \- why haven't you visited (me) the cafe?  
> (Q tally: 9)
> 
> also, did you guys notice my cameo? if you guessed the thing that went squelch under hiro's foot then you'd be right! haha get it, cuz i'm trash? hahaha *happy sigh*  
> i'll show myself out.


	10. here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Hot Doctor was making his way to pick him up, Hiro sat in that dumpster and tried to see if he could pull himself out. It was embarrassing enough that Hot Doctor knew he had been sitting in trash, but knowing and seeing was a different thing altogether and Hiro was loathe to keep still. "Sorry doc," he muttered as he struggled to push himself up without agitating his ankle.
> 
> When he managed to do so with only the smallest twinge, Hiro beamed with pride. He took a moment to pat himself on the back before hopping the rest of the way to the dumpster side, looking ridiculous and not caring one bit. He eyed the sides to see if there was something he could grab a hold of and use to climb out; how he was going to do that exactly? Well, he wasn't sure, but it was definitely better than sitting around twiddling his thumbs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the dumpster p.2  
> or alternatively: hiro makes up his damn mind about what to do with hot doctor haha  
> *clenches fist, making progress, one dumpster scene at a time.  
> this chapter went down to the butcher's store and got like a multitude of parts chopped up, so much editing ugh. also i put this chapter through the [hemingway app](http://www.hemingwayapp.com/), so if it seems different from my usual style blame that. i went from a grade 10 to like a grade 7/8 to keep it happy and i don't know if it's a good or bad thing. yet.
> 
> anywhoo, i hope you guys will like it~
> 
> Disclaimer: i don't freaking own bh6; also: un-beta'd

—X—

 

While Hot Doctor was making his way to pick him up, Hiro sat in that dumpster and tried to see if he could pull himself out. It was embarrassing enough that Hot Doctor knew he had been sitting in trash, but knowing and seeing was a different thing altogether and Hiro was loathe to keep still. "Sorry doc," he muttered as he struggled to push himself up without agitating his ankle.

When he managed to do so with only the smallest twinge, Hiro beamed with pride. He took a moment to pat himself on the back before hopping the rest of the way to the dumpster side, looking ridiculous and not caring one bit. He eyed the sides to see if there was something he could grab a hold of and use to climb out; how he was going to do that exactly? Well, he wasn't sure, but it was definitely better than sitting around twiddling his thumbs.

By the time he heard the purr of a motorcycle, Hiro had managed to somehow latch onto the top rim of the dumpster. Unfortunately, with his less than impressive upper body strength, all he managed to do was hang on. He had worked hard to get to the pathetic state he was in though, and he refused to let go, even if it meant more embarrassment for him.

(well, that and he wasn't really sure how his one good leg would take him dropping back down like that. he was already covered with filth, he didn't need more from falling on his ass to add to it)

Hot Doctor found him like that minutes later.

“Are you having fun?” He heard the man ask.

“Yeah, loads,” he threw back, “you should come and join me.”

Hot Doctor laughed and it still somehow sounded good even with the crappy dumpster acoustics. _Figures_ , Hiro thought, a smile pulling at his lips and a warmth tugging at his heart.

“All right, hold on I’ll get you out.”

Hiro heard the creak of wood holding up a heavy weight and knew that Hot Doctor had found the pile of crates on the side that he had used to vault into the dumpster in the first place. A heavy thud landed on the one closed lid and soon Hiro was looking up at Hot Doctor’s still disgustingly handsome face.

“It’s been a month and a half,” he whispered quietly to himself as he soaked in the man’s relieved expression. He looked the same as when Hiro had seen him last, albeit with less bags under his eyes and more stubble that added more to his already unfair attractiveness. Hiro stared and wondered what it would feel like rubbed against his skin before quickly stopping himself. Hanging from the side of a dumpster was one thing, but hanging on the side of a dumpster with a boner? Yeah, no, he didn’t need anymore shame in his life thanks.

“I hope you haven’t been hanging around here long,” Hot Doctor commented, the pun clear in the way he raised one eyebrow.

“You think you’re so funny,” Hiro drawled while mentally stamping down on the warm clenching thing his chest did when the man grinned down at him.

“You can’t pull yourself up?”

“If I could I probably would’ve been dragging myself home right now,” Hiro admitted, “but to answer your question: nope." He frowned, "Not everyone can have your physique you know,” he muttered.

At his comment, instead of bragging, the man only let out an embarrassed laugh that was _way_ too endearing for someone who was centimeters away from being 6 foot. “I guess there’s no helping it then,” he said, and before Hiro could ask what he meant, Hot Doctor was crouching down and falling into the dumpster. He landed with a solid thump that was also followed by squelching noises from the bits of trash left at the bottom, and Hiro couldn’t help his bodily wince of disgust.

“You didn’t have to drop down in here,” he told the man, “now we’re both in a dumpster and where does that leave us?”

Hot Doctor answered with an amused snort, and Hiro didn’t have to see the man’s face to know that he had rolled his eyes. “It’s just a dumpster; I’ve been in worse places."

Hiro pouted, "I'm going to add that to the list of things we should talk about."

"A list?" The man asked, sounding closer than Hiro had anticipated, "I didn't know we were making lists."

"Well, now you know," he snipped before looking down.

Large hands hovered by his hips, fluttering inches above as if unsure about what to do, before landing on them. Hiro bit down on his lip to stop whatever sound was about to escape as he let the man pull him away from his hanging spot. It was only when he was set gently back on the ground that Hiro took the opportunity to catch his breath (and his racing heart). He took another moment of telling himself that this wasn't a dream—that this was _real_ and it was happening—before he turned.

A streetlight offered a little light to the inside of the dumpster, but even the bad lighting wasn't enough to diminish Hot Doctor's presence. The man was like a shooting star that Hiro had only managed to catch a glimpse of before, but now he was here close enough to touch. He was here standing a hair-lengths away, looking at Hiro as if he were something precious and Hiro couldn't help but shiver underneath that gaze. A month and a half, he thought to himself. The man was still a stranger when they had parted, so why did it feel like Hiro was seeing his best friend for the first time in years?

A hand landed on his shoulder, catching his attention and knocking him out of reverie. He followed the arm up before managing a small smile at the sight of the man's confused frown. "Are you okay?" Hot Doctor asked, "Are you sure you didn't hit your head on anything while I was gone?"

Hiro hit the man's chest, but he was sure that his smile took the sting out of any pain he had caused. "There you go again, making fun of me," he said with a roll of his eyes, "I'll have to re-think who I accidentally call if you keep this up."

Hot Doctor just grinned, "Ah, I forgot about that," he said.

Hiro raised an eyebrow, "Forgot about what?"

The man chuckled, "Guess that's another question to add to the list, huh?"

Hiro stared and tried to look disapproving.

Hot Doctor barked out a laugh at his expression and it was as if a switch was flicked in Hiro's mind. It was too easy to laugh along, too easy to lean on this man and support him when he leaned back. Being with Hot Doctor was as easy as breathing and Hiro wondered how he could have forgotten.

Hiro still didn't understand though; they weren’t even friends! However, when Hiro needed help, Hot Doctor offered it. It was this man standing in front of him right now that had called and texted over and over again—as if Hiro meant something to him. People didn’t track other people they didn’t care about down by their phone GPS in the middle of the night so that they could pick them up from a dumpster, right? Him doing all these things had to mean something, right?

Well, whatever it meant, Hot Doctor was here to save Hiro from his unfortunate night and that was all that should have mattered. Knowing him though, he would also probably be the one to patch him up again. He doubted that the man’s infallible kindness had dissipated in the last month and a half and for that, he was grateful.

What did seem to change however, was his want for Hot Doctor to stay in his life. He didn't even care about the reason either. They could be friends or lovers, or friends who cuddled sometimes—Hiro would be fine with anything as long as it was with this man—that he knew. Just as long as they were both fixtures of each other's lives, he would be content, and wow wasn't that a scary thing to realize. When had this man become so important to him? When did Hiro start caring so much?

"Hiro?" Hot Doctor said, voice gone soft with worry again.

Hiro shook his head to clear his thoughts, flashing a small smile at the taller man. “Can we save the pleasantries for later? I’ve sort of been stuck here for a while now.” He aimed for teasing to try to break the strange atmosphere that fell over them, but he could feel it fall flat. He sighed, "That was awkward."

Hot Doctor chuckled, "That was adorable."

Hiro could feel his face turn red as he scowled at the man, God, did this fool even know what he was doing to Hiro's heart. He might have a heart attack before even getting out of this dumpster if he continued talking, "You can't just—"

"Just?"

"Just ugh!" He pouted and glared down at the ground, "Do you have a plan or not?"

"Yes actually," and Hiro didn't need to look up to hear the man's grin in his words, "I'll just give you a boost."

Hiro raised his head to raise his eyebrow at the man, “That’s your big rescue plan?”

Hot Doctor shrugged, “Sounds better than just hanging off the side, in my opinion.”

Hiro flushed again, scowling at the man who chuckled at his expression. "Well sorry for not being ridiculously tall like some people," he snapped, giving the man a pointed glare. The dumpster itself was tall; around six foot considering that Hot Doctor could still stand comfortably in it and not crouch down. Hiro, however, was only 5’7, a fact that he had loathed for a while now. “My family is on the shorter side okay, not everyone can have perfect genes.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Hot Doctor said, unfazed by Hiro’s bratty answer. “You’re not short. If you want to go by the average height of males between 15 and 20 in San Fransokyo, you’re actually in the upper height levels.”

Hiro turned his nose up and closed his eyes, “Don’t think I’m affected by that nerd brain of yours,” he said.

“Aww,” Hot Doctor said, giving a short laugh, “I thought for sure that would work.”

“Is this how you sweet talk all your dates?”

“Only the ones who want to meet up in dumpsters,” Hot Doctor replied with a charming grin that showed off his perfect pearly whites.

Hiro tried not to let the sight of it faze him but they both knew he had lost the battle when Hot Doctor started sprouting off facts about the height consensus of San Fransokyo. Who even brought that kind of stuff up though? _What a nerd_ , he thought fondly to himself. He could easily imagine the man look up the info just to make his shorter patients feel better.  He shook his head in amusement at the thought.

Hot Doctor smiled, "What?"

Hiro chuckled, “Nothing, just, I’ll be sure to pick a better location for our next date,” he said, trying to look cool. In reality, he was pretty sure his heart was having a mental breakdown. It was beating so fast at the mention of a next date that Hiro wanted to laugh. Next date? They haven’t even gone on one; get your head in the game, Hamada!

“But you always pick,” Hot Doctor said, not missing a beat, “when do I get a turn?”

Hiro kicked down the part of his brain screaming that Hot Doctor was flirting as he grinned up at the man, gladly ignoring the way his cheeks were burning. “Get us out of this dump and I’ll think about it.”

Hot Doctor chuckled as he took a step forward. Bringing his body close enough for Hiro to feel his body warmth radiate from underneath his leather jacket. “You’re a hard man to please,” he whispered as large hands gripped his waist again.

Hiro closed his eyes and bit down on his lip, forcing himself to stand upright and not melt into the man’s arms.

“On the count of three, I’ll lift you up okay?” He asked, still in that quiet whisper.

Hiro could only nod and hold on to the man’s shoulders as he did just that after his countdown. Hot Doctor held Hiro up as if he weighed nothing--a fact that Hiro gladly pushed to think about later. Instead, he focused on not braining himself as he worked on scrambling up onto the dumpster’s lid. He heaved a sigh of relief when he was finally out before leaning over to look down at the man who had just saved him. “What about you?” He asked, frowning.

Hot Doctor’s answer was to jump and do a crazy pull up maneuver when his hands grabbed hold on the side. Hiro could only gape because what the **hell**. If he had tried that there would actually be bones broken, but here Hot Doctor was, making it look perfectly doable. “You are just not fair,” He muttered later when they finally got to the motorcycle.

Hot Doctor actually had the gall to look hopelessly confused, like he honestly didn't understand. He did that head-tilting thing (that someone should really make illegal) and asked, “How am I not fair?” as he helped Hiro on to the back seat.

Hiro scoffed, “If you don’t know, then you don’t know.”

Hot Doctor hummed, “I always try to share things if that’s what you’re talking about.”

Hiro sighed, “No,” he said, “not even close.”

“Are you talking about my diagnosing practices? I’ve had patients argue with me about things hurting before. There was this one time during my residency days, after I set this woman’s bone, she had told me that I wasn’t being fair and that it hurt. But I was setting a bone? I don’t have enough experience to make it not hurt unless I used some anesthesia, but she already had a lot of pain medication so—“

Hiro groaned, cutting him off. “Just get on the motorcycle; oh my God, how are you even real.”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q for Hot Doctor:  
> -why did you come and pick me up?  
> -dirtier places? like where?  
> -forgot about what?  
> (Q tally: 12)


	11. while the world sleeps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San Fransokyo in the day was a crowded, bustling affair; Hiro personally hated it because in the daytime there were people. Unlike the robots and the machine parts he loved to tinker with, people were unpredictable. People could be nice, but in Hiro’s experience, the nice ones were rather rare against the tidal wave of others who would always be quick to judge and whisper cruel mockeries behind his back.
> 
> San Fransokyo at night however, was beautiful. Dangerous? Probably, most likely yes, but Hiro had been travelling the streets and alleyways ever since he was a kid. For a long time, taking a walk at night was the one thing that could soothe the nerves that came with dealing with others. He had stopped his night walks after he had gotten his PhD with the constant stress of having to interact with people disappearing from his life when he had, in all intents and purposes, gone into hiding. He still took walks every now and again, runs during the rare times he would go bot fighting, but riding on the back of a motorcycle was a new one and he was happy to say that he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gUYS JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL WE'RE CAUGHT UP  
> i am excited! ~~but also very nervous bc what if you guys don't like where i take this story? *chews nails*~~  
>  i guess we'll just have to see, eh? ;D  
> in the meanwhile, i hope you'll enjoy this chapter~
> 
> Disclaimer: bh6 is not mine. srs.; also: un-beta'd!
> 
>  **NOTES ON HIRO:** right now hiro is like a pre-teen driving with a permit for the first time. he's nervous but he's excited bc he knows where he wants to go and wants to do. he'll be pushing and then pulling back until he gains more momentum with dashi, so right now is a little experimental for him. and by experimental i mean, he's going to flirt, freak out a bit, get his confidence back, try again, rinse  & repeat. he's feeling out their relationship (or the boundaries of their relationship) so things are not exactly stable ground (yet). i hope you'll understand c:
> 
> ok have fun~

—X—

 

San Fransokyo in the day was a crowded, bustling affair; Hiro personally hated it because in the daytime there were people. Unlike the robots and the machine parts he loved to tinker with, people were unpredictable. People could be nice, but in Hiro’s experience, the nice ones were rather rare against the tidal wave of others who would always be quick to judge and whisper cruel mockeries behind his back.

San Fransokyo at night however, was beautiful. Dangerous? Probably, most likely yes, but Hiro had been travelling the streets and alleyways ever since he was a kid. For a long time, taking a walk at night was the one thing that could soothe the nerves that came with dealing with others. He had stopped his night walks after he had gotten his PhD with the constant stress of having to interact with people disappearing from his life when he had, in all intents and purposes, gone into hiding. He still took walks every now and again, runs during the rare times he would go bot fighting, but riding on the back of a motorcycle was a new one and he was happy to say that he was thoroughly enjoying the experience.

“Really though, tell me why I’m not fair.”

Hiro sighed considering that it was the third time the man had asked the question since they had left that alleyway, but even the sound was unbearably fond, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re really persistent?”

“Yep,” Hot Doctor replied, his amusement clear through the helmet speakers, “but I don’t think that that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

Hiro thought back to the hospital incident and the ten minutes he had gone over because he was a stubborn fool who liked pushing people away. He thought back to the burst of relief that had felt like a punch to the gut when he found Hot Doctor waiting for him still. No, he thought, persistence certainly wasn’t a bad trait to have—not that he was going to tell Hot Doctor that of course, he did have an image to uphold after all.

“This isn’t the way to the Lucky Cat,” he said in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Just so you know, I’m taking your evasion as an agreement,” Hot Doctor replied, his smirk clear in his tone. Hiro rolled his eyes but smiled, hugging the man a bit tighter as the motorcycle made an easy turn. “And no, I’m not taking you back just yet. I still have to patch up your ankle and your home probably won’t have the things I need if you really did twist it again.”

Hiro’s eyebrows furrowed, “So… the hospital, then?”

“Uhm no…” Hot Doctor said, but this time his tone was more sheepish, meek in the way he said his words.

“Okay, where are you kidnapping me to?”

Hot Doctor chuckled nervously, “Uhh, my apartment?”

Hiro blinked in surprise, completely taken aback.

“But I swear I’m not going to do anything shady– oh, wait that’s what shady people say– no, uh, okay, I just want to check your ankle over and that’s it, I swear!”

Hiro was glad they were riding at night because he was pretty sure the motorcycle just weaved into lanes it shouldn’t have in the past couple of minutes that Hot Doctor had been babbling for. And wow, how adorable was this man? Sure, if it were anyone else, Hiro would’ve been suspicious, but this man was so ridiculously good that Hiro even doubted he had a single bad bone in his body. He was probably the kind of person who offered children lollipops after an examination after doing a thorough allergy check and double-checking if it was okay with the parents or something.

“Honestly,” Hiro laughed, unable to hide his amusement at the scenario that played in his head, he could picture it so well it was scary.

“If you want me to bring you to the hospital, I can,” Hot Doctor offered, sounding one inch short of dejected.

“No, no,” Hiro said, chuckling again before taking a moment to collect himself. “I told you before, right? I trust you,” he assured, “besides, I’m pretty sure any bad bone in you would’ve been replaced by your nerd genes a long time ago.”

“…that didn’t make sense.”

“Just take me home Jeeves,” Hiro snapped back, his tone holding too much amusement for any bite.

“…home?”

“Okay, now you’re pushing it,” Hiro said, unable to stop his laugh regardless, “you know what I meant.”

“I know,” Hot Doctor replied, his voice light and as casual as you please, “I just wanted to hear you laugh again.”

 _Aaaand_ there it was, the sound of Hiro’s heart trying to do the weird pull up thing Hot Doctor did to get himself out of the dumpster—only this time, it was trying to jump straight out of Hiro’s chest.

“You—really—“he broke off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “Stop it,” he hissed.

“Stop what?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding both endearingly confused and moments away from laughing.

Hiro pouted as he tried to will his blush into disappearing. Honestly, this man and his ridiculously smooth lines were going to be the death of him.

 

.

 

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for them to get to Hot Doctor’s apartment, and when the motorcycle was parked, Hiro realized why. Unlike the area where he lived, Hot Doctor’s neighborhood wasn’t… well, it wasn’t one of the best that was for sure.

Since the man worked so much, Hiro had assumed that he was rolling in yen. Maybe being a doctor wasn’t as high paying of a job as he had originally thought?

“Nice place?” Hiro said, as he was carried (piggyback style, much to his disappointment) securely through the— not run down, but far from new— apartment lobby. The walls were dry plaster painted a warm honey yellow and the floor was a scuffed granite floor that probably needed a good waxing; overall, it wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t upscale to say the least.

Hot Doctor just chuckled, “Yeah, my friends have been insisting on me moving but… I don’t know.”

“So you’re not poor?” Hiro asked, “Or a shady drug dealer?”

“Not really and no,” Hot Doctor answered.

“Not really a shady drug dealer because you’re, and I quote, not shady?”

Hot Doctor’s full laugh was a glorious thing to hear and brought too many flutters in Hiro’s stomach—God was it wrong of him to want to record the sound and just— _ohhkay_ , **wow** , bordering on creepy again there Hiro, stop it.

“I’m not a drug dealer,” Hot Doctor said with a smile Hiro could hear as he bypassed the lobby elevator and headed toward the stairwell, “and I’m not shady.”

“Do you know who calls themselves not shady?” Hiro asked, loving every second of this banter.

“Shady people?” Hot Doctor said, sounding torn between laughing again and resigned.

“Yep,” Hiro said aiming for solemn, “shady people.”

“I just can’t win with you, can I?” Hot Doctor said with a sigh.

Hiro ducked his head down and pressed his smile to the back of Hot Doctor’s neck, reveling in the full body shudder he got from the man underneath him, “Nope.”

“Look who’s being unfair now,” Hot Doctor muttered, the tips of his large (adorable) ears tinted red.

“I never claimed that I was ever fair, so that’s your own fault for assuming.” Hiro wanted to stick his tongue out, but considering that he was currently trying to nuzzle his face into the man’s skin, it probably would make things more awkward than funny.

The man just muttered something incomprehensible under his breath that made Hiro’s smile widen into a grin—despite him not being able to make out what he was saying.

Hot Doctor carried them from the dimly lit stairwell through a door marked ‘Third Floor’ and into a large, blue carpeted hallway. The elevator was the first door straight ahead and Hiro, unable to curb his curiosity, asked the man why he didn’t just take the thing.

“Oh that,” he said, “It’s broken. Taking the stairs is healthier anyway; it’s how I keep in shape at least.”

“So that’s why you’re so fit,” Hiro muttered, taking note of the way Hot Doctor coughed in embarrassment, the flush moving to color his ears whole as it moved down. He smiled, “Do you think if I walk up and down the stairs at my house a billion times, I’d get the same physique?”

“Uh, I’m not sure,” Hot Doctor said neutrally, “but your legs would probably thank you later for the muscle.”

Hiro, gaining courage with the fact that Hot Doctor couldn’t see his face at that moment, squeezed his legs together around the man’s side. “I’m sure my legs are thanking you right now,” he said with a smirk, mentally cheering when the man’s grip on the bottom of his thighs tightened for a brief moment.

His steady steps forward didn’t falter though, and Hiro wondered if there was anything he could do to get this man to flounder just a bit. It would only be fair, he thought to himself, Hot Doctor had made Hiro  (fall, falter, trip?) stumble for him—having the other man stumble as well would just be common courtesy really—and if he had to be unfair to do it then Hiro certainly wasn’t going to complain.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- so why do you live here if you've got money?  
> (Q tally: 13)
> 
> P.S. SHOUTOUT TO @hitrashicant on tumblr for [dRAWING FANART FOR HOT DOCTOR](http://hitrashicant.tumblr.com/post/109865094196/the-hot-doctor-by-hoshikuso-oh-my-oh-my-its-1) it's beautiful, y'all should check it out ok sOBS


	12. i will remind you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Here we are!” Hot Doctor announced as he walked through the front door of his apartment. Hiro, who had curled around the man’s back, perked up, pushing himself up so that he could see the place better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's still 9 here, shhh i'm not late this still counts as feb the 5th lol  
> anyways, editing this chapter was really... difficult. for all the re-readers: there's an extra part in there that wasn't there before so hopefully you guys will like that haha.
> 
> but other than that, this is it you guys, we are officially caught up to where we left off on tumblr. with that said, unfortunately i have to end our update every 2 days thing. at this point i'm hoping for a chapter a week, so we'll see how that goes :/ i hope you guys will be patient with me! but hey! some good news! the next chapter might not be done, but it's like 50% finished. it _should_ be up by the end of the week :D so look forward to that haha  && this chapter is 6 pages vs last chapter's 4 ;D
> 
> also: just remember that hiro is a recluse ok. he doesn’t very much like people and he has his moments of self doubt and anxiety ok. but also remember that these two are endgame and yes there are a couple of bumps and shaky moments, but this is going to end happy if it’s the last thing i do *clenches fist
> 
> other than that, i hope you all enjoy this chapter~
> 
> disclaimer: i don't own bh6 ok; also: un-beta'd  
> next ch eta: uhh at the end of the week maybe? ORZ

—X—

 

“Here we are!” Hot Doctor announced as he walked through the front door of his apartment. Hiro, who had curled around the man’s back, perked up, pushing himself up so that he could see the place better.

Although the building itself wasn’t very welcoming, and the lobby not quite as nice as others he had seen, he had to admit that the apartments themselves weren’t bad. The olive colored wallpaper wasn’t peeling off anywhere and the dark hardwood floors that lined the ground had some wear and scratches on them, but weren’t scuffed beyond recognition. The place didn’t smell like mold or mildew either, instead it smelled clean, like there was a window open that always kept the air circulated and fresh.

“Yep, definitely not a drug dealer,” Hiro said with a snicker at the mismatched furniture taking up space in the man’s living room. There was a comfortable looking brown leather couch placed in the middle that seemed more Hot Doctor’s style, but there was also a stuffed armchair and a garish orange beanbag sitting in one side, and a purple, pink flower-patterned loveseat on the other.

“Oh no, I wonder what gave it away,” Hot Doctor replied in a tone so deadpan it made Hiro’s amusement turn into a full blown laugh.

Hot Doctor’s answer was a snort as he placed Hiro carefully down on the ground before he himself leaned against the wall to take off his shoes—shoes that Hiro realized were a pair of black high-top Converse. He filed that information away for now; unsure what to do with it as he too tried to carefully slip off his shoes in respect to the man who owned the place. Hot Doctor waited patiently for him, but when Hiro tried to take off his other shoe, this hiss of pain that escaped him had the man moving again, scooping Hiro into his arms as if he weighed nothing.

“Wait I still have one shoe on,” Hiro protested.

“Its fine,” was Hot Doctor’s unusually tense reply, “I have to check out that ankle in better lighting.”

Hiro had thought the man would put him down in one of the chairs, but Hot Doctor kept walking. He passed the living room and another room where Hiro caught a glimpse of a refrigerator; kitchen, he thought, mental map already working on familiarizing himself with the place. Eventually, the hallway ended with two choices, two rooms that both had their plain white doors closed.

Hot Doctor turned to the left one, opening it and turning on the light to reveal the bathroom.

“It’s because I was in a dumpster, isn’t it?”

Hot Doctor hummed as he moved toward the closed toilet, turning and crouching down slightly so that Hiro could safely slip off his back and onto the lid.

“You were in the dumpster too,” Hiro pointed out as the man turned to rummage through the cupboard underneath the sink.

“I know,” was Hot Doctor’s reply before he pulled out what looked to be a large red, plastic box. “We’re both going to take showers later and patch you up some, but if that ankle is twisted, the sooner we get it wrapped the better.”

“Oh?” Hiro questioned, unable to stop his smirk. “Are we showering together?” He asked innocently, watching with glee as the man who was bending down flushed scarlet.

“No,” Hot Doctor said, “t-that’s not what I meant.”

At this, Hiro pouted. “Awh, why not, we can save a lot of water?” he suggested, confidence rising when the man didn’t immediately shoot him down or give him weird looks. Hiro would’ve probably started apologizing if Hot Doctor started to tread into the uncomfortable, but instead of his fears coming to life, Hot Doctor made a face that looked adorably torn. Hiro had to bite down on his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“And, with my ankle, I’d probably need help you know? Don’t want to be falling down in the bathtub or anything…” he was about to go on, adding some imagery with the words wet, soapy, and naked, but with the mention of his ankle, all embarrassment seemed to be thrown out of the window with a suddenness that made Hiro blink in surprise.

“If you need help showering later I don’t mind,” he said, all helpful smiles and no trace of the delicious blush from before.

“I’m sure you’re good at that,” Hiro tried, wiggling his eyebrows a bit, “helping.”

“I wouldn’t say _good_ ,” he said, looking like a sheepish little boy who was pleased at the praise and not a 20-something man with muscles and an early graduation from SFU under his belt. “I did use to volunteer at a nursing home during my residency though, and all the elderly people I gave sponge baths to never complained, if that means anything.”

 _Aaaand_ there went all attempts at salvaging the mood. Wow, sponge bathing old people—what a massive K.O.—Hiro could practically see the **FATALITY** written all over the fight that was his life.

Hiro sighed and hung his head, closing his eyes. Honestly, this man; Hiro didn’t know what was going to kill him first, the attractiveness Hot Doctor exuded with every pore, or the exasperation he caused on what would probably be a daily basis if Hiro decided to pursue this more. One thing was clear however, that if this was what bringing up his injuries did, then Hiro would never do it again.

“There was so much potential too,” he muttered, slightly bitter at the loss.

“Did you say something?” Hot Doctor asked half-distracted as he ran calloused, warm fingertips over Hiro’s ankle.

“Oh nothing,” Hiro said with a small shiver, telling himself that it was all going to be okay. He did have the man on his knees in front of him after all—sure, it was to check if howl badly he had injured himself (again), but that was all semantics. You had to look at the silver lining, and from where he was sitting that silver lining was smoking hot and had all his attention focused on Hiro(‘s ankle).

 

.

 

Ten minutes of Hot Doctor coaxing and gently moving his ankle this way and that along with the added questions he would throw out every now and again, had Hot Doctor diagnosing his ankle as mildly sprained. “It should feel better by tomorrow if you put an ice pack on it tonight,” he said, “you’re lucky; all that trash piled up at the bottom must’ve saved you.”

Hiro sighed because this was literally his life, “Yaaaaay, trash,” he muttered.

Hot Doctor just shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Alright, with that done,” he stood up and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. “I’m going to change, and while I do that please take off your clothes.”

Hiro jolted at the words, turning his head to stare wide-eyed at the man, as his face growing redder than a tomato. “W-w-w-what?!”

The man met his incredulous gaze with a questioning one of his own, “Showering, remember? Don’t worry about falling, I’ll come in there too and help you.” He smiled reassuringly, completely oblivious to the fact that Hiro wanted to burrow into the ground and hide for a million years because holy crap—Hiro had been joking! He had brought up showering together thing to see how far he could tease the man; he hadn’t actually expected him to want to go through with it! Hot Doctor might’ve been able to take a professional step back away from the temptation of seeing a naked body, but Hiro didn’t have that ability. He had problems when the man was fully clothed and he _really_ didn’t want to think about what he would do with the man actually naked in front of him.

“I’ll take it myself!” He squeaked, “I don’t need your help!”

Hot Doctor frowned, “Hiro, be reasonable. Think about your ankle, when you take a shower, everything will be wet and soapy,” and damn if that was the un-sexiest way of using wet and soapy in a sentence ever. “How do you expect to balance yourself?”

Hiro stayed quiet because damn, the man was correct; knowing Hiro’s clumsiness, this shower would probably turn bloody if he had his way. But if they took a shower together, Hiro knew—he just _knew_ —that his body would betray him in one way or another, and that wasn’t something that he was willing to risk.

He looked away.

Hot Doctor sighed and moments later, he was crouching down in front of Hiro again, taking his hand and enveloping it with his own in a show of comfort. He looked up at him, coffee eyes earnest. “What can I do to make you say yes?”

“Can I just… _not_ take a shower?” As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, he wanted to take it all back. Not take a shower? He was _covered_ in filth. An hour ago, He would’ve given away his bot fighting money from the night just for a chance at cleaning up—what the _hell_ was he saying?

Hot Doctor, as if knowing what he was thinking, just chuckled.

Hiro sighed and turned his head to face the man, knowing that he had lost this round. “Will you be… naked too?”

The man blinked at the question, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Is _that_ why you’re fighting this?” He smiled and it was fondness and kindness wrapped into one. “I was actually planning on changing into my wetsuit,” there wasn’t an ounce of teasing in his voice, just a reassurance that proved to Hiro that this man was honestly too good to be true. He could’ve laughed, he could’ve been cruel and mocked Hiro by throwing his words from before back at him; _but he didn’t_ , his mind whispered.

If he wasn’t so dirty from the dumpster, Hiro would’ve hugged him, unestablished friendship regardless. Instead, he moved to place his free hand on top of Hot Doctor’s, squeezing it. “Thanks,” he murmured, giving the man a small smile.

Hot Doctor shook his head, “Don’t worry about it,” he said, “If it makes you feel better I’ll even grab my board shorts for you to wear so we both don’t have to be naked.”

Hiro brightened up at that suggestion, “Can you?”

The man’s smile widened as he nodded, “Anything to make you happy.”

 

.

 

Twenty-eight minutes of the awkwardest shower of Hiro’s life, and Hiro finally found himself laying down on a disturbingly soft bed. He wore an oversized bathrobe that matched the one Hot Doctor was wearing, and he took a second to admire his attire as he wiggled around, trying to get comfortable.

Once he was settled, Hot Doctor grabbed a couple of pillows and gently propped Hiro’s legs on them. “Keep that leg elevated while I get an ice pack,” he said with a pointed finger.

Hiro saluted him, “Aye, aye doc,” he grinned. The man gave a snort before turning around and walking out. Hiro watched him go before turning his attention to the room.

Hot Doctor’s bedroom was smaller than the attic he called his own at home, but it was just as homey as the rest of the place. It also smelled exactly like Hot Doctor: sandalwood and green tea, which, thanks to the shared shower, Hiro found came from the soap and shampoo combination Hot Doctor used. The room had the same olive green wallpaper from the rest of the place, but the floor, he noticed while being carried in, was covered in tan carpet. There was a door in the corner that probably led to a closet, dark wood patterned nightstands standing on each side of the large bed, and a large bookshelf that covered one wall stuffed full. It was simple, Hiro thought, and for once in his life, he admired it.

“Now don’t try to fight me for the couch—“ Hot Doctor said as he walked in again.

“I’m not.”

“—you’re the guest with a sprained ankle and—“ Hot Doctor stopped himself, his brain finally processing Hiro’s quip. Instead of getting angry however, his face turned into fond exasperation as he grinned and placed the washcloth covered ice pack on his ankle.

Hiro grinned back and patted the empty space next to him, “There’s still a lot of space, and I’m not so cruel as to kick you out.” He wasn’t kidding either; the bed was at least a queen, big enough for him and Hot Doctor to fit comfortably on without getting too much into each other’s space.

(not that Hiro would mind, but something told him that if he pushed too much too soon, he would scare this amazing man away and that was honestly the last thing he ever wanted)

Hot Doctor didn’t immediately say no, but instead stood there at the foot of the bed, looking carefully blank at the offer.

Hiro gulped. “Come on,” he said, immediately hating how weak his voice sounded. “I promise I won’t kick you in my sleep.” He tried a smile on for size, not knowing why he felt that it was so important to get the man to sleep next to him, knowing only that it was.

The silence that followed his words was loud, and for a couple of seconds Hiro wanted to take it all back. Maybe it was too soon, maybe it was too much, or that Hot Doctor didn’t want to get too close to Hiro; Hiro, who was awkward, and too thin, and too smart—Hiro who had lashed out before because of his insecurity. Hot Doctor had avoided him before, after all. A whole month and a half of time and he had never once walked through the Lucky Cat Café’s doors for a cup of coffee. That should’ve been Hiro’s warning that Hot Doctor wasn’t interested, so why— _why_ —

“Okay.”

Hiro inhaled so sharply that he ended choking on the breath. A moment later found a large, warm hand rubbing his back, the owner smiling down at him when he looked up.

“Are you alright?”

Hiro blushed, “I’m f-fine,” he managed to stutter out.

Hot Doctor chuckled softly and continued rubbing his back, “I’ll take your word for it. You can sleep now; I’ll join you after my shower.”

Hiro felt the blush creep up his cheeks as he shook his head, “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Hot Doctor pulled away (and Hiro didn’t miss it, he _didn’t_ ) and shrugged, the smile turning into a lopsided grin. “That’s your choice,” he said as he walked to the closet in the far corner of the room. He started picking out clothes that looked fit for lazy lounging around the house and made his way to the door before Hiro stopped him.

“I would think you were clean enough," which was true considering that the man had taken a moment to wash his hair while they were showering together, "What happened to ‘it’s just a dumpster, I’ve been in worse places’?” He asked, proud that his voice didn’t waver even once despite his crumbling courage.

At the door, Hot Doctor let out a sheepish laugh that made him look more adorable. “I said that to look cool,” he replied, honesty showing with the light blush that dusted his prominent cheeks, “did it work?”

Hiro’s answering laugh was hard enough to make him bend over and clutch at his stomach, happy tears clouding his eyes. He heard the man chuckle as he walked away and listened quietly until the sound of the shower resounded from the bathroom. Knowing he was fully alone, Hiro straightened up to wipe the wetness from his eyes before laying back down. He grabbed a pillow and smooshed his face against it, inhaling Hot Doctor’s scent as he tried to rebuild his confidence one metaphorical brick at a time.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- ~~dirtier places? like where?~~  
>  (Q tally: 11)
> 
> (extra) summary of hiro's actions in this chapter:  
> h: lol shower naked with me hd  
> t: uhh  
> h: it'll be fun (*snickers* look at this cutie blush his ass off, this is hilarious)  
> t: u-uhh... i dont  
> h: remember my ankle–  
> t: *doctor mode activated* OH YEAH OK LET'S SHOWER TOGETHER  
> h: wait what, i wasnt–  
> t: dONT WORRY I HAVE EXP FROM OLD PEOPLE SPONGE BATHS HA HA HA  
> h: no, no wait i cant–  
> t: GET NAKED PLS  
> h: _**FATALITY**_
> 
>  YOU GUYS, ALSO, LOOK AT THIS FANART OMG. [THIS](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/110067198260/another-doodle-for-hoshikuso-d-taken-from-a) one by rotsloeh of the last chapter (sobs so beautiful) && [THIS](http://hitrashicant.tumblr.com/post/110061856536/hoshikuso-okay-so-fun-fact-i-thought-i-was-trash) one by hitrashicant for vday (oo-la-la~) THEY'RE BOTH AWESOME, SHOWER THEM WITH LOVE
> 
> [hot doctor's apt floor plan](http://www.munzcorp.com/apartments/villagegreeneast/images/VillageGreenEastflpn1.gif)


	13. if i woke up next to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro woke up twice.
> 
> The first time, it was because whatever warm thing he had been holding moved away from him. So, bleary-eyed and more than half asleep, he reached out and tugged at a cushy, but firm something that felt warm under his fingertips but would definitely feel amazing curled around him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> told you guys it would be up by the end of the week, and look at that, i'm early! ;D  
> this is a completely new chapter and ~~i'mnervousshitguiseihopeyoulikeitomg~~ i really hope you guys will enjoy it haha. but before that.
> 
> **A NOTE ABOUT HIRO AND NOT KNOWING DASHI'S NAME:** so, i've noticed that a lot of you have some issues with hiro still not knowing hot doctor's name, and i'm basically going to tell you all right now to relax. take a deep breath ok, release that frustration (which, why are you guys so frustrated? haha i don't understand) and just, whoo, calm down. you good? you ok? alright, time for a little explanation. maybe it's my fault with being so vague, but i'm going to tell you right now that hiro? yeah, he has everything he needs to find out dashi's name. i am not disregarding that fact. hell, even without aunt cass having his business card, hiro could probably find out through other means (such as hacking the hospital records or even using the phone number he filched to track down the man's billing records). i am not disregarding that, nor have i ever disregarded that.
> 
> however, the thing with hiro is that he _DOES NOT WANT TO KNOW_. again. **_HIRO DOES NOT WANT TO KNOW HOT DOCTOR'S NAME_** and there's good reason ok ~~other than plot stuff~~. hiro is a genius, but in this au he has basically grown up alone and hated by most (if not all) of his peers. and if they don't hate him? well, they're trying to use him for one reason or another. and all of that fame/infamy, yeah, it can all be connected to his name. hiro, more than anyone, knows the importance of names. in this au, he knows that if you search his name on the internet, information about him would pop up like nobody's business. does he like it? NO. he actually _hates_ it. that's why, with dashi, he doesn't care to find his name. he has all the resources to do so, yes, but hiro wants to get to know the man from the man himself, not from an article he might or might not find online ( & also bc he's extremely weak to his curiosity. like can you imagine him knowing and _not_ looking that shit up? bc i can't haha). dashi is a genius too, hiro realizes this. he realizes that information would be so easy to get, but HE DOESN'T WANT IT. he wants dashi to tell him about himself, he wants to find out about the man behind the genius because he, of all people, knows exactly how it feels to only be known by his name and his accomplishments and nothing else.
> 
> tl;dr: _**HIRO DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW HOT DOCTOR'S NAME BC HE WANTS TO GET TO KNOW THE MAN ON HIS OWN TERMS, NOT ON THE TERMS OF THE INTERNET AND WHATEVER PUBLICITY IS ATTACHED TO HIS NAME**_ & also cuz he's weak lol
> 
> if that _still_ sounds unrealistic to you, then i'm sorry ~~not really tho, i am _so_ not sorry~~ if it really bothers you... well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ i don't know what to say. guess you can't please everybody. ok, you guys can read on now haha. if you still want, of course. no one's forcing you to be here, after all.
> 
> Disclaimer: i don't own bh6; also: un-beta'd  
> Next Chapter ETA: uhh some time next week ORZ

—X—

 

Hiro woke up twice.

 

.

 

The first time, it was because whatever warm thing he had been holding moved away from him. So, bleary-eyed and more than half asleep, he reached out and tugged at a cushy, but firm something that felt warm under his fingertips but would definitely feel amazing curled around him again.

“Come on,” he muttered, when said thing wouldn’t budge, “ _pleaseee_.”

He tugged at it a couple of more times before giving up, choosing to drop his arm limply onto the empty spot next to him and letting out a whine. It totally wasn’t fair, he thought to himself; he should—should—he sighed, oh who was he kidding, he could barely think of a solution to his problem still half stuck on sleep mode as he was.

Resigning himself to falling asleep cold, he was surprised then when the cushy-firm thing rolled over, right onto his arm—but hey that was okay, he was cuddled up next to Hiro and Hiro was once again warm. Sighing happily, he raised his other arm and clutched tightly to the cushy-firm thing’s shirt so that it wouldn’t roll away from him again.

“Good cushy,” he told it, patting the thing briefly as he nuzzled closer.

The last thing he heard before falling asleep again was a muffled sound that suspiciously resembled a laugh.

 

.

 

The second time he woke up, it was thanks to his internal alarm clock.

He spent a couple of minutes just lying there on the bed, basking in the warmth that surrounded him. The room smelled heavenly, he noticed, but it was dark. Usually in the mornings, his room would be lit up with light from the outside—the blinders always open somewhere. From where he was though, there was only one window that he could see and there were heavy drapes set over them.

Ok, so this wasn’t his room. He felt like he should’ve started freaking out, but in reality all he did was push back against the warm, firm thing pressed against his back. He was so cozy that he was ready to just close his eyes and fall back asleep. It would be so easy; sleep was just lurking on the corner, ready to drag him back down for a couple more hours of bli–

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, _wait._

He gasped as his eyes shot open, taking in the room again with a clarity he didn’t have before. If he wasn’t in his house then—

“Mmm, no…” He stopped moving at the sleepy voice, half mumbled but still _so_ recognizable to his poor heart. The arm (and _how_ did he not realize that _Hot Doctor_ was cuddling him, Hiro _what_ ) around his waist tightened, stopping Hiro from moving as he tried to will his body to relax. But how could he— _how could he_ , **Hot Doctor** was cuddling him and God, this was like a dream. He fought to steady his breathing, blinking rapidly as he brought up a hand to stroke the man’s arm, hoping to coax him back asleep and hopefully untangle them from this predicament.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

Hot Doctor breathed deeply from behind him before his arm dragged Hiro even closer, pressing his front to Hiro’s back with only their layers of clothing between them. If it wasn’t clear that the man was half-hard before, it was definitely clear now.

Hiro closed his eyes and shuddered, a movement that shook his whole body. He was torn between wanting to throw this man’s arm off him so he would have the space to curl up into a ball and whimper for a bit (because holy crap, _this_ , **this** was definitely so much better than his dreams, he wanted to cry), and turning over to bury his face into the man’s chest and just _breathe_ (while maybe getting an even closer feel to the hardness being pressed up against his ass right now— _Jesus Christ_ ).

He had dreamt about this so many times in that month and a half that they didn’t see each other. Hiro would dream of waking up to all of Hot Doctor’s sleepy splendor, of being able to kiss his soft smile to coax the man awake, giggling when the man would complain but pull him closer instead of letting him go—unwilling to do so even half asleep. All his dreaming however, could never have prepared him for the real thing. Hot Doctor was so warm against him, warm and firm but fitting just right—as if he was specifically molded to hold Hiro. It was too good to be true but no matter how many times Hiro pinched himself nothing would change, the world wouldn’t shimmer and fade leaving him cold and alone again. This was real and—

“Thinking too much…” he heard the man mumble behind him, the words more of an exhale than anything else.

Despite himself, he couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of his chest. Even in sleep, this man could slay him without even trying. It astounded him enough to kick his mind back into play, giving him the ability to push all the overwhelming feelings away for now as he continued to stroke the man’s arm.

“It’s okay,” he cooed, “go back to sleep.”

“Don’t leave me…” Hot Doctor whispered.

Hiro’s heart clenched in his chest; he smiled, “I won’t, I’m just going to get ready for the day. I won’t leave yet.”

“Promise…?” He asked voice so small that Hiro had to strain to hear him. For a moment, he was thrown back to the first time the man had fallen asleep under his care. _“…’romise…?”_ The man had asked while barely clinging on to the last threads of wakefulness.

Hiro’s smile grew at the memory, “I promise.”

If Hot Doctor’s arms around him were locked chains, his words were the key to unlock them. Sitting up, Hiro fixed the bathrobe around him before carefully scooting himself to the edge of the bed. He looked back for a moment, watching as the man rolled until his back was facing Hiro. He somehow looked lonely sleeping there alone; Hiro was tempted to lay back down and curl up against him again before he quickly shook that thought out of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

Hot Doctor had said that if he slept with ice packs on his ankle, it would be better in the morning. He hesitated when he remembered the pain from last night, but forced himself to push it away as he gently let his feet touch the carpeted ground. Carefully, he put pressure on his injury, expecting to wince and being pleasantly surprised when only a dull twinge of last night’s pain came back to him. It was still sore but he could stand, balance himself, and walk without feeling as if hopping around on one leg was a better choice, and for that, he was more than grateful.

 

.

 

The first thing Hiro did was make his way back to the bathroom.

His dirty clothes were still in a pile on the ground near the bathtub, but his phone, which he had taken out and put on the sink counter last night, wasn’t there anymore. He made his way out after a moment of splashing cold water on his face, his feet taking him back to the living room where—ah, there it was.

On the computer table in the corner, his cellphone sat next to what he recognized as Hot Doctor’s cellphone, both of them still plugged in and battery completely full. “Of course he would charge my phone,” Hiro muttered with a quirk of his lips, not even surprised.

Unlocking his phone, he had a moment of amusement before completely blanching at the list of missed calls—all from his aunt. He whimpered because oh God, oh God she was going to _kill_ him. Quickly, he pressed the call button, choosing to opt out of a video call as he brought the device up to his ear. It took a surprising amount of time before the call connected, his aunt’s voice coming in clear but groggy—as if she had just woken up herself.

“Hiro?”

“I’m sorry!” He blurted out, feeling the sudden urge to bow even though she wouldn’t see him.

Aunt Cass yawned, “Sorry for what?”

All of his excuses died on his lips because what was happening here? His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion; he was expecting her to yell at him, maybe rant about how irresponsible he was and demand him to come home so she could show him what she thought about him disappearing in the middle of the night without so much as a note.

He was expecting to be grounded, not— _this_.

“Why aren’t you mad?” He asked with a frown.

She sighed as if all these questions were confusing her, “Mad about _what_?”

“That I’m not home right now?” Hiro said, frustrated and incredulous, “That I was gone all night? Why aren’t you mad that I didn’t pick up when you called me—“ he pulled his phone away and glanced at all the missed calls listed in his notification bar before returning the phone to his ear “—22 times!”

 There was a long silence before he heard his aunt giggle. “Oh Hiro,” she said, sounding completely patronizing.

Hiro immediately scowled.

“I was worried at first,” his aunt continued, “and trust me when I say that I was about to pull your ear a new hole with all the stress you caused me—which, remind me to lecture you about when you get home. We are definitely talking about this, do you understand young man?”

Hiro just winced, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get out of that one.

“Anyway,” he could imagine her shrugging, “I wasn’t really worried because your doctor called me last night and told me that he had picked you from a dumpster and that now, you had another sprained ankle to worry about.”

Hiro waited for the rest of her explanation before realizing that that was it. “That’s your only reason for not freaking out?!”

“Well…” she started, “I can’t really say that I approve of you hanging around dumpsters—“

“You’re not going to ask me why I’m with Hot Doctor?” He lowered his voice down to a harsh whisper, looking around to make sure the man wasn’t in the nearby vicinity. “And what do you mean he _called_ you?”

“Just what I meant,” was his aunt’s placid answer.

Hiro sighed and tried to control his rising temper. “Aunt Cass,” he said in the way one would say _explain_.

She sighed and Hiro knew that if they were near each other she would probably pat his head, “I may or may not have contacted him between the last time he was at the café and now,” she said carefully.

_What_

“What.”

“I had to make sure that he wasn’t a creeper!” She defended herself, “Sure he _seemed_ nice, but you never know. I was trying to look out for you and—“

“What did you say to him?” Hiro demanded with panic clawing at his throat. Did she tell him how mopey he was while he was gone? How he had worked endless shifts just for the small chance that he would come in? Did she tell him how pathetic Hiro was? Was that why he had picked Hiro up from the dumpster last night—because he felt _sorry_ for him?

“Nothing!” She was quick to say, her voice cutting through his worries like a hot knife through the stringiest of meat. “Well, okay, I _did_ share a couple of your baby pictures, but Hiro, I swear to you that that I didn’t tell him anything you wouldn’t say to his face, okay.”

Hiro didn’t relax his death grip on his phone.

Cass sighed again and this time it was her special, ‘I feel a headache coming on’ sigh. “Hiro, honey, please believe me. We didn’t even talk that much—I mean—if it wasn’t him asking how you’ve been recuperating and sending me reminders to make sure you wouldn’t strain your leg walking around, it was to exchange tips on how to get stains out of clothes.”

Hiro listened to her words and tried to absorb them, tried to tell himself to stop panicking—tried to tell himself that his aunt would never betray him like that. She wasn’t like all those people who had tried using him; this was his aunt, the woman who had taken him in when no one else wanted him. The woman who had worked tirelessly to make sure that he was safe and happy in their home. She had never once abandoned him and Hiro forced himself to repeat that thought in his head as the remaining panic drained out of him little by little.

However, one question still remained.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were talking to him?”

“Because I knew you would react badly,” she told him, nothing but honesty in her words. “But would it honestly change anything if I did?” She asked, “If I told you that I was texting him and that he was asking about you—you, who already had his number in your phone ready to use—would you have used it and texted him back?”

Hiro stayed quiet because they both knew the answer to that was a sound _no_.

Before Hot Doctor had picked him up from the dumpster, Hiro was still stuck fast, neck-deep in his cowardice. He wanted many things from the man, things he didn’t think he would ever get. Distance brought longing, but it also brought doubt, and Hiro’s doubt was crippling. He had spent hours sometimes just staring at the picture he had managed to get of the man, spent hours with a text already written out and ready to send—but in the end the text was always deleted and the picture changed. Hiro _wanted_ , but above all, his fear of rejection from the man he had started to develop feelings for was too much. Just the mere thought was enough to send him back to hiding underneath his blanket, phone set far, far away.

Even if his aunt had told him, nothing would have really changed. He would’ve still worked every day waiting for the man to come through those doors—still hoping, but too scared to ever take that first step forward. But suddenly, her words from before started to make sense. She knew that Hot Doctor had been asking about him, and if that wasn't fuel for his dying hope then Hiro didn't know what was. 

Cass had been supporting her in her own way this whole time and Hiro exhaled at the realization, the sound as shaky as his hands. “I’m sorry for...,” he whispered, unable to continue with the lump in his throat.

“That’s okay,” his aunt was quick to reassure, understanding and a smile in her words.

Hiro closed his eyes and took another deep breath before exhaling. He smiled, “Thank you, Aunt Cass.”

She hummed, “For what?”

_Everything_ , he wanted to say; he cleared his throat instead, “For adding more questions to my list of things to ask.”

“I see,” she said, amusement clear in her tone, “well don’t let me stop you! Don’t stay out too late though, I expect you home tonight, young man!”

Hiro chuckled, “Alright, I’ll see you then. And... Aunt Cass?”

She made an inquisitive noise.

He paused, “I love you.”

There was only a heartbeat of silence before a fond, “I love you too, Hiro,” filled his ears.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> \- you're talking to my aunt? tell me about that  
> (Q tally: 12)


	14. till there was you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After he had said his goodbyes to his aunt, Hiro started planning the morning in his head.
> 
> He was comfortably clothed only in the bathrobe Hot Doctor had lent him last night, but he would’ve appreciated real clothes to change into. Maybe the man had a washing machine somewhere in the apartment; if not, then Hiro wasn’t against borrowing the man’s clothes (and maybe never giving them back). He snickered at the thought—God, at this point, he might as well start up a shrine for the man in his closet, he was so creepy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter would've been up sooner if it didn't insist on fighting me every step of the way. like pulling teeth. PULLING TEETH I SAY! but whoo, aside from that :) this chapter is it when it comes to establishing the base ground. like the cement for a new house, yes. i just hope you guys don't kill me hahaha
> 
> ALSO! thanks for all the support and understanding about the name thing :'D it really means a lot to me that some of you guys are willing to keep on going with this story despite its imperfections haha  
> ALSOp2! happy early valentine's day! :D  
>  **friendly reminder** that dashi has a back story in this one. i'm not going to tell y'all what it is, but just know that hiro's right about his past not being buttery smooth :/ that  & they both have reason for doing what they do mmk ~~and i'm evil muahahaha~~
> 
> && as always! enjoy~
> 
> Disclaimer: bro, i don't own bh6 -_- bUT I DID GET A BETA :D HELL YEAH! thank you so much [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi), for trudging through my mistakes and awkward sentences haha  
> Next chapter ETA: maybe next friday, we shall see :/

—X—

 

After he had said his goodbyes to his aunt, Hiro started planning the morning in his head.

He was comfortably clothed only in the bathrobe Hot Doctor had lent him last night, but he would’ve appreciated real clothes to change into. Maybe the man had a washing machine somewhere in the apartment; if not, then Hiro wasn’t against borrowing the man’s clothes (and maybe never giving them back). He snickered at the thought—God, at this point, he might as well start up a shrine for the man in his closet, he was so creepy.

Pushing away the thought of clothes for the moment, he did the next best thing and headed toward the bathroom to brush his teeth. He was sure that the man wouldn’t mind him stealing one of his spare toothbrushes, and if he did, well it wasn’t like Hiro was poor—he could buy the man a whole aisle worth of toothbrushes if he wanted; anything to get the nasty morning taste out of his mouth.

That done, he walked back to the bedroom. In the time that he was gone, Hot Doctor had rolled over to the side of the bed he had slept on and was now sleeping face down, limbs askew and sprawled every which way. Hiro had thought that Hot Doctor’s overall perfection would’ve spread to his sleeping habits, but watching him now, he was glad that it hadn’t. Aside from being endearing and ridiculously cute, it also made the man more… human somehow. He knew that no one was perfect and this man certainly wasn’t an exception to that rule; Hiro couldn’t say for sure considering that there were still a lot of unanswered questions on his part, but he was positive that Hot Doctor’s past wasn’t as buttery smooth as he had first thought.

Still, he thought as he watched the man sleep, this man was certainly something else. It wasn’t every day that Hiro met someone who was probably as smart as he was in their chosen field, but didn’t take every opportunity to make it known. Hot Doctor was an enigma wrapped in disgustingly attractive wrapping paper with puppies piled on top, and Hiro was itching to dig through and unwrap him (in more ways than one).

“Mmm…” the man’s voice jolted him out of his reverie, leaving Hiro to watch as he turned his head sideways, smacking his lips at something he was seeing in his dreams. “More,” he mumbled, “more… chocolate chips.”

Hiro blinked before clasping a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh; how adorable was this man? He turned from the room and forced himself to walk away before he could be enticed to do something that would most likely ruin whatever chance he had—like crawl back into bed and kiss the man for being so stupidly cute.

But what to do now?

Hot Doctor was obviously the furthest thing from a morning person and, taking into consideration that no alarm had gone off, Hiro assumed that he didn’t have anywhere to be. Hiro certainly wasn’t going to wake him up to take him home because, asleep or not, Hiro was enjoying just being in the man’s apartment with his things. Home wasn’t an option—at least not yet.

So then... what? Should he just go back to the living room and watch TV or play games on his phone until his host woke? No, that sounded boring and Hiro’s fingers were restless, demanding that he do something more hands on. He looked around the hallway he was standing in before his eye caught the black shiny corner of the man’s fridge. He rubbed his stomach before grinning wickedly.

 

.

 

Hiro was humming along to a song he didn’t remember the words to and flipping the last batch of bacon when Hot Doctor ambled his way to the small kitchen.

The man must’ve still been half-asleep because, instead of the long, steady strides he usually walked in, the man was shuffling, pajama pants catching and making noise as he followed the scent of food. Hiro looked over his shoulder when he heard the man stop, snickering when he caught the confused look on the man’s bleary face as he stared at the small dining table laden down with food.

“You can start eating if you want,” Hiro said with a grin before turning back to the frying pan.

Hiro heard more shuffling but didn’t realize that it was coming closer until there was a broad chest being pressed against his back, arms curling around his waist, and a nose nuzzling into his nape. His cheeks went from normal to blushing at an alarming speed and already, he could feel his heart pick up double time. He knew logically that the man hugging him from behind was still half-asleep and couldn’t really be held responsible for his actions but holy crap, what the hell was this man doing, trying to give him a heart attack? Hiro was going to aim for a hug later after he gave the man the ‘I want to be friends’ talk (he had it planned out and everything), but apparently he just couldn’t let Hiro gain the upper hand. He just had to hug him first didn’t he? How typical.

The level of unfairness Hiro was feeling now was astounding.

“You stayed,” he heard the man say, and oh God, that little tumble his heart did? Yeah, that probably wasn’t healthy. It probably meant that Hiro was going to die sometime soon or something. He could see it now, death by hugging and sleepy mutters—what a way to go.

It was the smell of the bacon burning that brought Hiro careening down to Earth. Unsure about what to do about the man clinging to him, Hiro tried his best to ignore the problem altogether (if it could even be called a problem, the level of enjoyment he felt from having the man just drape himself on him was—no, _focus_ Hiro!). Flip the bacon, poke it a little, bask in the smell of fat and green tea—damn it!

“Smells good,” Hot Doctor said, and Hiro logically knew that he was talking about the bacon, but all the logic in the world probably wouldn’t be able to stop him from blushing when the man was _this_ close, smelling _so_ good, and _murmuring_ things into his ear with a sleep rough voice. Hiro was fighting a losing battle and he needed this man to get away from him before he did something unspeakable like burn the bacon (or turn around and kiss the man stupid).

“Can you just go—sit down,” he pleaded, voice breaking embarrassingly with his desperation.

“But this is nice,” Hot Doctor said, and before Hiro could even say anything else, the man’s lips curled into a smirk against his neck, the twist sending shivers down Hiro’s spine.

This was ridiculously unfair, who gave you the right to be this _unfair_ , Hiro wanted to demand, but before he could his brain kicked in, reminding him of his own actions when the man had carried him into the apartment building the night before. He had done the same thing, had he not? Was this Hot Doctor’s revenge then? Hiro would’ve been impressed if his heart wasn’t currently threatening to give out.

“You’re evil,” he said, trying to glare at the man from the corner of his eye.

Hot Doctor just laughed, confirming his allegations, “I never said that I wasn’t going to try getting you back.”

Hiro rolled his eyes and jabbed the man’s stomach with his elbow. “Go sit down your maniac,” he told the man in what he hoped was a disapproving tone, “unbelievable.”

Hot Doctor proved that his try at sounding like a scolding parent failed when he chuckled, the sound husky but holding a bright amusement that made Hiro smile at the man’s good nature. Arms squeezed his middle briefly, before releasing Hiro, the man moving to shuffle back toward the dining table.

After the last of the bacon was finished, Hiro pushed it onto a plate with its brethren before making his way to the table. He sat down in the chair across from the man who, instead of starting his meal, had chosen instead to put his head down on what little space there was and fall back into a doze. “I don’t know how I had pegged you for a morning person before,” Hiro said as he prodded the man with the blunt edge of his fork.

Hot Doctor sighed into the table before pushing himself up, “I never expected you to actually be a morning person, so I guess that’s something new we both learned about each other today.”

There was something in the way that the man had uttered the words that made Hiro’s smile grow. Somehow, instead of being a matter of fact statement, Hot Doctor had made it sound like a start to a wonderful predicament. It would be dangerous in a life altering sense, but Hiro found that he wanted to traverse down that path; if he had to fight dragons for a lifetime of finding out something new about the man sitting in front of him Hiro knew that he would do it in a heartbeat. Aloud however, all he did was shrug and spout off a neutral “I guess so,” in an attempt to keep his thoughts to himself.

Hot Doctor raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth before promptly shutting it again—obviously thinking better of whatever it was.

“What?” Hiro asked.

The man’s lips twitched upward at the corners, “Is that your first question?”

Hiro raised his own eyebrow before placing his eating utensils down, “Oh, are we playing that game? Just know that when it comes to sass, I have boundless experience and am not unwilling to utilize it all to crush you.”

Hot Doctor barked out a laugh, his eyes closing in his delight, “I don’t doubt it.”

The thrum of excitement, of finding someone who could take his quips and roll with the punches, filled Hiro’s veins with excitement and a happiness that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Being this man was as easy as breathing, he thought not for the first time. When the man had picked him up from the dumpster, it was as if— …as if a puzzle piece had clicked back into place. _Yes_ , Hiro thought, that felt right. Like a puzzle piece. Hiro would loathe losing this feeling again and today he would make that known somehow; asking for someone’s friendship couldn’t be that difficult… right?

However, “You can go first,” he offered, probably cutting through the man’s amusement. “With the question thing, I mean. I probably have more questions for you so,” he made a vague gesture that made a light blush dust at his cheeks and tried to tell himself that that was the only reason. Well, okay, maybe he was just a _tiny_ bit nervous—but that wasn’t his main reason, he was only being courteous! It would be right, he reasoned to himself.

Hot Doctor smiled fondly at him but didn’t contradict his words (or point out the way he was nervously clutching at his napkin), choosing instead to hum. “I don’t know about that,” he said, “but since you’re being so generous.” He paused, taking a deep breath before laying the full strength of his gaze onto him, suddenly serious.

Hiro fought not to squirm as he met his eyes, trying to assure the man that whatever he would ask, Hiro would do his best to answer as honestly as he could. Hot Doctor would do the same thing, Hiro told himself, knowing it to be the absolute truth. Still, with the way the man was looking at him—Hiro couldn’t help but be nervous about whatever he was going to say. Just hurry up, he wanted to tell him, tell me like you would rip off a band-aid. Just hurry up and ask.

“Will you be…”

Hiro leaned forward expectantly—

Hot Doctor blushed before covering his face with his hands, ruining the tense atmosphere and blocking the view—an indignant part of Hiro wanted to shriek.

“myfriend?”

Hiro wanted to pull down the man’s hands before the words the man rushed to blurt out finally sunk into his brain.

_Will you be my friend?_

He blushed and brought up his own hands to cover his face because, _oh_ **God**. Honestly, why was he even surprised anymore. This man was just so— **gah**! Hiro didn’t even have the words so he groaned instead and thought that it was appropriate considering that the question he had wanted to ask the man had been stolen from right underneath him. “You can’t even let me have this,” he whispered before his laughter bubbled from his chest, crazed and sharp but tasting of sweet, sweet relief.

“Is that a—“

“Don’t you dare,” he cut in, parting his fingers so that he could glare at the man. He could already tell by his tone alone that it was going to be something ridiculously idiotic, “don’t you dare finish that question.”

Hot Doctor, who had been peeking at him from behind his own parted fingers, dropped his hands to the table. His face was doing the thing that reminded Hiro of confused puppies and—ugh, that was a weakness if he ever saw one. Just how was he supposed to say no to that face?

Then the realization started to sink in and Hiro couldn’t help but laugh again because this amazing man had just asked _him_ if he would be his friend. He dropped his hands so that he could pinch himself, just to make sure that this wasn’t some delirious dream his brain cooked up while he was fever addled or something. He was so giddy with his happiness that he didn’t know what to do with it all.

“So…” Hot Doctor’s voice was shy, filled with a painful hesitation that knocked Hiro off his cloud and back down to Earth, and that just wouldn’t do. Hot Doctor deserved nothing but happiness and Hiro would be damned before he ever stopped thinking that.

“I don’t know much about friendship,” Hiro told him, heart squeezing painfully in his chest at the honest reminder, “but I would love nothing more than to be yours,” _in every sense of the word_.

Hot Doctor’s expression stuttered for a moment and Hiro held his breath (did he catch—) before the man was melting into a smile so soft, fond, and bright that Hiro could do nothing but stare. “Friends,” Hot Doctor whispered.

Hiro swallowed and tried his best to smile back, knowing how awkward he must’ve looked compared to the other’s brilliance. “Friends,” he repeated, even if his heart was telling him that it wasn’t nearly enough.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 12)
> 
> SHOUT OUT to rotsloeh for [dRAWING A SCENE FROM LAST CHAPTER IT'S BEAUTIFUL/SOBS](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/110720059650/a-scene-from-hoshikusos-the-hot-doctor-chapter) && c-cow [fOR THIS ADORABLE THAN LIFE PIC OF HOT DOCTOR OMG](http://c-cow.tumblr.com/post/110394558655/please-be-an-asshole-hiro-whispered-as-he) too cute ;_; too cute foh me && wowowow [hd in cOLOR looking hella hot ~~and ready to have some fun wHOO TAKE IT OFF HOT DOC!~~ and mighty fiiiine](http://hitrashicant.tumblr.com/post/110624137861/so-today-i-finally-figured-out-how-to-color) by hitrashicant. all of it is on tumblr so be sure to check them out bc omg, such good fanart i creyy ORZ


	15. darling you’ve got to let me know (should I stay or should I go?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, your turn."
> 
> The lingering warmth of establishing their friendship faded away with those words. Hot Doctor sat across from him, an eyebrow raised expectantly. His lips curled up on one side in a smile that wasn't as soft, but still kind somehow. It was an open face; a face that told him that this man was ready to answer anything Hiro had to ask him. It was a face that told of a willingness that was, no doubt, brought about by the good turn of events.
> 
> Hot Doctor was gorgeous like this and Hiro was terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a massive friendly reminder that hiro isn't the only one in this relationship and that dashi can't read minds haha. also, it's 11:58, so i made it, it's still friday bruh
> 
> p.s. HAPPY LATE CHINESE NEW YEARS!!  
> p.s.s. i see and love all of your reviews ok. i just haven't had the time to answer them all, but i promise you i will. i am reading them ok, i have not forgotten ♥ :'D  
> p.s.s.s. i'm usually not one to care about the kudos count or whatever, bUT THIS FIC HAS OVER 1000 KUDOS AND I JUST?? GUYS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? WHY ARE YOU DOING?? I LOVE YOU  
> p.s.s.s.s. FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT THE HAMADA BROS ARE CANONLY CREEPY, like dashi sews tracking chips into hiro's clothes, and hiro literally goes through dashi's trash, hoards it (his trash, hiS TRASH HIRO WTF), and stole his ID one time?? like wtf they are so hella bro-con it hurts haha
> 
> disclaimer: eyyy i don't own bh6 gotcha?; && MANY THANKS TO MY BETA [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi) for beta-ing this while boarding a plane jfc

—X—

 

"So, your turn."

The lingering warmth of establishing their friendship faded away with those words. Hot Doctor sat across from him, an eyebrow raised expectantly. His lips curled up on one side in a smile that wasn't as soft, but still kind somehow. It was an open face; a face that told him that this man was ready to answer anything Hiro had to ask him. It was a face that told of a willingness that was, no doubt, brought about by the good turn of events.

Hot Doctor was gorgeous like this and Hiro was terrified.

Logically, he knew that he had nothing to fear. There wasn't an axe murderer out for his head and he hadn't bled on Aunt Cass' things recently; he had nothing to fear yet here he was, hesitating once more when all he wanted yesterday were answers.

Hot Doctor's smile started to fall, slowly, slowly, taking the man's easiness with it. Hiro watched as his shoulders stiffened with the sudden burden that Hiro's insecurities brought and— _come on_ , he told himself furiously _just spit it out_. They were friends now; that had been established literally five minutes ago and Hot Doctor wasn't the type of person who would befriend someone only to take that friendship back with a single question.

But what if. _What if_.

"Hiro," a hand landed on his own, gently coaxing the fist he had made to unfurl.

Rough fingertips trailed over the crescent moons on his palm and, for a moment, he sat there and watched, unwilling and unable to look at the owner.

Hot Doctor didn't say a single word, just continued to gently run his fingers over Hiro's skin, waiting.

Hiro took a deep breath before curling his hand closed, trapping the man’s fingers in an effort to both ground himself and keep him from running away. He took a deep breath before looking up and meeting those coffee eyes. "You knew where I lived," he said, dragging out the words but trying his damnedest to keep his tone light. “So why didn’t you visit?”

Hot Doctor stared at him, “You’re mad,” he said, and it was a question and a not-question rolled in one.

“I’m not ma—“

“You’re mad.”

“I’m not,” Hiro snapped before realizing. He took another deep breath, “I’m not mad.”

“But you’re not happy either,” the man murmured. He lifted his other hand and wrapped it around the death grip Hiro now had on his fingers.

Hiro looked down at it, forcefully pushing all of his bitterness away because Hot Doctor was holding his hand. Hot Doctor was holding his hand and _just stop it Hiro_ , just enjoy the moment and—

“I’m sorry.”

Hiro whipped his head up, staring wide-eyed. “What—“

“Were you…” he paused, looking unsure, “were you waiting for me?”

If dying from blushing too fast were a thing, it would probably be Hiro’s downfall. His cheeks felt like they were burning, etching all of his embarrassment onto his face as he stuttered out a vehement, “N-No! Why would I—I didn’t!” He moved to pull his hand away, but Hot Doctor held firm, “L-Let go!”

“I’m sorr—“

“Stop!” Hiro shouted, finally looking up at the man, “You—“ he choked as the words caught in his throat, “You…” he murmured, “don’t misunderstand.” _It was me who waited_ , he wanted to say, _it was me who had foolishly hoped. How were you supposed to know?_

They were nothing to each other back when they had first met, and Hiro understood that. To this amazing man sitting in front of him now, Hiro had probably been one patient out of the hundreds that came to be treated at the hospital. It was a miracle that they had met again and Hiro refused—absolutely _refused_ to ruin all their progress because of his childish spite. Things were moving forward, they were friends now; Hiro had an actual chance at building something from the stable foundation that they had poured together.

He was bitter, yes, extremely so—but he _never_ wanted to make the man feel guilty. Hot Doctor wasn’t a mind reader, he had no responsibility to take up and no cross to bear in regards to Hiro’s feelings, so, “Don’t apologize, because you did absolutely nothing wrong.”

Hot Doctor was silent, his expression a mixture of worry and contemplation. “What can I do then,” he asked after a moment, tone hesitant and soft. “What can I do to fix this?”

Hiro swept his eyes over every inch of the man’s face, finding nothing but an honest earnestness that made him smile. “You can stop feeling guilty,” he said, “and you can answer my question. Why didn’t you visit if you knew where I lived?”

Hot Doctor stared at him for another long second, his body stiff. Then he sighed and—much to Hiro’s surprise—started to blush.

“Promise you won’t laugh,” he told him, looking sheepish and shy.

Hiro’s eyebrows furrowed together at the sight, but he nodded nevertheless.

“I… I uh, tried to visit.”

Hiro narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean by tried?”

Hot Doctor’s blush grew redder, “I would sort of ride by, but because of my job the café was usually closed.”

Hiro’s lips twitched, “And if it wasn’t?”

The man looked away, his blush now covering his cheeks and moving steadily up to his ears. “If it wasn’t I would sometimes, uh… park around the corner and…” he winced, “sort of sit there for a bit.”

Hiro raised his free hand to cover his mouth so the man wouldn’t see his smile grow.

“I tried going in!” Hot Doctor stated quite vehemently, “but I…” he wilted, shoulders slumping, “I didn’t want you to think that I was a creep so I just… didn’t.”

Hiro couldn’t help it, he laughed.

“You promised!” He heard the man whine.

Hiro just lowered his head until it was resting on the table, shaking from his giggles as his mind flashed through an image of Hot Doctor sitting on his motorcycle, staring forlornly at the café doors with that kicked puppy look on his face. Oh God, why did it hurt so much to breathe?

Hot Doctor sighed when his laughter died down into giggles he tried hard to muffle, “It’s good you’re getting some amusement out of this, I guess,” he said with a fond exasperation.

Hiro pushed himself up, wiping away the tears that started gathering at the corners of his eyes. How unpredictable, Hiro thought. While he had Hot Doctor's number, he hadn't wanted to call because he knew that that would've been _beyond_ creepy; he just hadn't expected the man to hesitate in visiting for the same reason. “You’re ridiculous, you know that,” he told the man.

Hot Doctor spluttered, “How?”

Hiro raised an eyebrow, “How would you coming into the café for a cup of coffee be creepy? It’s a public place for one, and two—it’s a café! You could’ve gone for the pastries and still be okay!”

The man blushed, “But wouldn’t you have felt that—I don’t know, that maybe I was stalking you or something?” The hands that were still wrapped around his own squeezed. “You didn’t want me to take you home the first time,” he murmured, “I had to practically force the ride home on you and—“ Hot Doctor stopped himself, lips tugging down into a frown Hiro wanted to kiss away.

“I didn’t want to keep barging in on your life when I didn’t know for sure that I was wanted.”

The silence that followed his words was loud and filled with a small sadness that Hiro knew he had inadvertently caused. He cursed himself in his head because the man was right; thinking back, he could see how his words and actions might have given the wrong impression. Hot Doctor had offered him a ride home and Hiro shut him down faster than he could blink; Hot Doctor offered to stay and help his aunt at the café and the first thing that Hiro tried to do was shoot the idea out of the sky before blatantly suggesting that Hot Doctor should just go home.

He had pictured Hot Doctor before, looking torn between going in or staying away, and he had laughed. He wasn’t laughing now because this wasn’t funny anymore; he had literally caused his own pain. The hope that the man would come to see him at the café—he had shot that down to hell with his own mixed signals.

_Damn it_ , he cursed, _damn it, damn, damn, damn, **damn it**_ **.**

He had to fix this, having the man walk around thinking that he wasn’t wanted in Hiro’s life—when Hiro was 100% sure that he would do anything short of murdering someone to keep him—was a ridiculous mistake that he needed to right.

“Hey,” Hot Doctor squeezed his hand, “are you still with me?”

He looked up and took in the other’s confused but concerned expression. I want to keep you forever, Hiro thought to himself, but how can I ever tell you that without chasing you away.

“Hiro—“

“We’re friends, right?” He blurted out without thinking.

Hot Doctor blinked in surprise before nodding slowly as if he was unsure where Hiro would lead them but still willing to follow.

“Then, okay,” he ran through a million ideas in his head, a million paths opening up in front of him with a million possibilities at the end. How can he fix this?

“Hiro, what—“

“Today,” he interrupted.

Hot Doctor just looked at him and waited, still patient, still kind.

Hiro took a deep breath, “Today,” he started again, “I’m going to pull the friendship card and demand that we hang out.”

Hot Doctor tilted his head to the side, his brows furrowing as he studied Hiro with careful eyes. “Don’t you have to go home?” He asked, slowly, hesitantly.

Hiro shook his head, “I called my aunt earlier and she wants me home by the end of the day, but other than that I’m free,” then it hit him— “u-unless, uh, you have something else to do?” He winced, suddenly feeling like he was trying to pedal backwards on a bike he had just learned to ride yesterday.

God, how awkward, at this point he wouldn’t have been surprised if Hot Doctor had started laughing at him. Everyone else would, that was for sure.

Hot Doctor, however, just quietly studied him for a couple more seconds before he melted into the smile that Hiro loved seeing the most. “No,” he said with a tinge of amusement embedded into his tone, teasing, but not cruel.

“Then...“ Hiro trailed off, shoulders sagging, “you don’t want to hang out wi—“

“No,” Hot Doctor cut in again, his words quick and tone sharp as if he wanted to kill the idea before it even had time to form. His expression softened, “I would love to hang out with you.”

Hiro blushed but fought to stay cool even if his heart was doing excited flips in his chest. “That’s good,” he said before huffing, “I mean it’s not like you had a choice or anything, I _did_ just pull the friendship card on you.”

“Oh?” Hot Doctor said, quirking an eyebrow at the statement, “and what would have happened if I didn’t agree to your little plan?”

Hiro rolled his eyes, “Our friendship would’ve been revoked,” he said in the same tone that one would say _duh_.

Hot Doctor laughed, the bright sound expelling any hard feelings left in the room. “Good thing I agreed then, huh?” He said when his amusement faded into soft chuckles.

“Yeah,” Hiro said, swallowing the lump in his throat, “lucky you.”

 

.

 

Hiro slipped out of the bathrobe, shivering lightly as he stood naked in the middle of Hot Doctor’s room. Placing it on the corner of the bed, he grabbed the pants from the pile of clothes Hot Doctor had had to dig out of the back of his closet.

_“I haven’t worn these since my college years,”_ he had said with a nostalgic look in his eye.

Hiro shivered as he slipped into the brown cotton pants and this time, it wasn’t from the cold. From establishing friendship to going commando in his old pants, Hiro thought wryly to himself, what an interesting turn of events.

_“The building doesn’t have a laundry room,”_ Hot Doctor had said in a way that sounded like an apology.

Hiro snorted at the memory. He didn’t care if his clothes from yesterday had to stew in eau de dumpster, the man was offering him his own clothes to wear and it was as if Christmas had come early!

Grabbing the shirt from the pile, Hiro brought it up to his face and inhaled, smiling as green tea and sandalwood filled his senses. He sighed happily before pulling the shirt over his head and on—not surprised in the least at the bagginess of the well-worn cloth.

Walking toward the full body mirror hanging off the closet door, he stared at the outfit before grinning. It definitely wasn’t his style, but it somehow fit the owner; Hiro could imagine a younger Hot Doctor running around his university campus in these same clothes, pulling off the hipster look as seamlessly as he pulled off everything else.

Or maybe he had been a huge dork, tripping over his feet and stumbling face-first into an environment filled with adults. Nothing was set in stone; there were a lot more questions that Hiro still had to ask Hot Doctor, but it was okay for now. He didn’t feel rushed to ask or pry—they were friends and Hiro was going to milk their new relationship status for all it was worth.

One thing was certain though, “He is never getting this outfit back.”

Hiro snickered to himself before a knock at the door jolted him out of this reverie. “You okay in there?” Hot Doctor’s asked, his voice muffled by the door.

“Just fine,” Hiro yelled back as he grabbed the socks he had been offered, pulling them on as quickly as he was able. As an afterthought, he rolled up the ends of the pants once before deeming himself ready, flouncing up to unlock and open the door.

Hot Doctor had been leaning against the doorframe, apparently waiting. His sudden proximity took Hiro’s breath away and made his heart pick up double time as he reared back in surprise, socked feet almost slipping in his haste.

“Whoa!” The man said, his hand shooting out to grasp Hiro’s arm in an effort to steady him.

Any normal person would’ve moved away after that, but Hot Doctor stayed rooted in place, his eyes holding something unreadable as he took in the clothes that Hiro was wearing.

Hiro blushed and struggled to understand why his body was feeling hot all of a sudden.

“You look—“ Hot Doctor started, stopping himself abruptly to swallow.

Hiro looked up at him from underneath his eyelashes, “They’re your clothes,” he quietly reminded the man.

Hot Doctor blushed a bright red then before he coughed awkwardly, releasing Hiro as if he was burning him. The man took a step back, “I-I know,” he stuttered, wincing seconds after the words left his mouth.

Hiro didn’t even try to contain his smile. “I should add this to my list of questions,” he mused aloud.

Hot Doctor slowly looked back at him, “Add what?” He asked almost warily.

Hiro snickered, “What you were thinking of that made you so—“ he gestured with his hands, unsure how to word the man’s expression (flustered, maybe? yes, flustered sounded right).

At his suggestion, a flash of panic crossed the man’s face. Hiro outwardly laughed at the sight before walking past him and toward the front door, leaving Hot Doctor to catch up.

Oh yes, he thought amusedly to himself, this would be fun.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
>  ~~\- why haven't you visited (me) the cafe?~~  
>  (Q tally: 11)
> 
> FANART SHOUTOUTS!! *q*  
>  **\- rotsloeh:** bby r u trying to kill me with your love? because jESUS CHRIST LOOK AT THIS [FANART FROM 13](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/110720059650/a-scene-from-hoshikusos-the-hot-doctor-chapter), && [THIS ONE FROM 14](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/111365555775/yet-another-doodle-for-hoshikusos-hot-doctor-fic) LOOK AT THEM AND BE AMAZED OMFG I JUST– *crying lava* ♥  
>  **\- afraea:** [THIS,](http://afraea.tumblr.com/post/110954671021/okay-so-im-obsessed-with-the-hidashi-fanfiction) [THIS,](http://afraea.tumblr.com/post/111156762151/okay-so-this-is-the-scene-in-the-morning-after) AND [SCREAMING THIS](http://afraea.tumblr.com/post/111249217656/hiro-and-tadashi-meeting-in-hot-doctor-by) fuuuuuuuck, yOU MADE ME FEEL HARASSED IN A GOOD WAY, thank you soooo much *sOBS* they're beautiful, ORZ just go check them out ok, i am amazed y ♥  
>  **\- armin-is-on-the-arlert:** [dAT BRIDAL CARRY THO,](http://armin-is-on-the-arlert.tumblr.com/post/110962032247/so-this-is-for-hoshikuso-and-their-amazing-fanfic) yes, just yES :'D ♥  
>  **\- rinnatsuki-221b:** sO [MUCH GOODNESS SOBS && THE "FRIENDS" SCENE](http://rinnatsuki-221b.tumblr.com/post/111003412947/ahhhh-i-cant-stop-drawing-these-two-like-ugh) I JUST *crying softly forever* ♥  
>  **\- glasfeder:** bro, if you've ever had a hard time picturing hot doc dONT FEAR JUST LOOK AT [THIS](http://glasfeder.tumblr.com/post/111212366642/hides-under-the-blanket-i-cant-draw-disney) & [THIS](http://glasfeder.tumblr.com/post/111323330927/its-1-am-and-im-wide-awake-again-but-whatever) hoooomggggggg *q* such doc, much hot. good lordy my hEART♥  
>  **\- sh-sh-sh-shion:** bby idk what happened to the blog you originally posted it to so i had to link it back to mine, whispers: sorry. [bUT YOU WONT BE SORRY LOOKING AT THIS.](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/post/111343155283/frickoffjuses-by-sh-sh-sh-shion-for) it made me laugh so hard bc jesus, it is /so/ hiro, like wowowwooowow hahhahha ♥  
>  **\- hamadacesting-all-the-tiiiiime:** where can i even start with this one? i mean, this gal actually [dREW A COMIC BASED ON THE FIRST CHAPTER,](http://hamadacesting-all-the-tiiiiime.tumblr.com/post/111415626441/fanart-on-the-first-chapter-of-the-amazing-hidashi) i just– look at it, lOOK AT IT i feel so loved i am just *groans* ♥ orz
> 
> whispers: they're all beautiful


	16. babe you got my heartbeat running away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took Hiro getting on the back of Hot Doctor's motorcycle and circling around the block a couple of times before he realized that the man had no clue where they were supposed to go.
> 
> "Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed, both amused and exasperated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorta not date (but yes date) part 1 && *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*
> 
> **actually, wait, wait, ok notes omg**  
>  \- there's an asshole that i shall dub 'low-key homophobe douchebag' who makes an appearance here, so if you might be triggered by things like that please skip this chapter ok  
> i warned you, this is my warning, pls dont say i didnt warn you bc i did
> 
> *deep breath* OKAY *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*  
>  ~~whispers: i hope you guys like this chapter~~
> 
> Disclaimer: bh6 is not mine & BETA'D now :D as always by the lovely [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi)  
> *bracing wince* ok, enjoy~

—X— 

 

It took Hiro getting on the back of Hot Doctor's motorcycle and circling around the block a couple of times before he realized that the man had no clue where they were supposed to go.

"Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed, both amused and exasperated.

Hot Doctor's laugh came out loud and clear through the helmet, "You never told me where you wanted to go,” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Normal people normally ask," Hiro shot back, grinning despite himself.

"Well, maybe I wanted to see just how many times I could circle the block before you noticed," he replied, never missing a beat. "The answer is three by the way, I've circled this block three times now."

"Unbelievable." Hiro muttered before laughing because, _damn_. "You're a menace, you know that?" He laughed again before shaking his head and squeezing the man’s waist.

"So, do you have a particular place you wanted to visit before I up that number from three to four?"

"I haven't really thought about it." He told the man honestly. "If you have any ideas...?”

"Actually…" he said before pausing, "Hmm, but would you find it interesting, though?"

"What?" he looked at the little screen in the corner of the helmet that gave him a view of Hot Doctor smiling broadly, his teeth gleaming white in the dim lighting.

"Well, have you ever been a tourist to our lovely city, Mr. Hamada?"

Hiro blinked, "Like, go see the golden gate and visit the piers for the first time, tourist?"

Hot Doctor hummed, "Yeah. Does that sound like fun or would you prefer to do something else?"

Hiro thought back to the last time he had gone with someone to actually visit the large bridge that made San Fransokyo iconic and found only one instance (Aunt Cass; seven-years-old). He thought of going with Hot Doctor now, of walking the length of the bridge with the man, maybe visiting the little museum in the middle and getting some hot chocolate while they pretended that they weren't natives to the city. It probably would've sounded boring to anyone else, but "it sounds fun to me."

The man kept his eyes on the road, but his bright grin was all for Hiro as he sped up, riding through the intersection just as the light turned red.

 

.

 

"Wow, it's crowded. Hot Doctor said when they finally reached the little visitors center.

Hiro hugged the man tighter as he stared at the people milling around the place. Tourists taking pictures of everything, families sharing smiles, couples enjoying the nice day together (just like you and Hot Doctor, a small part of his mind whispered).

"Hey," he heard the man say, voice oddly serious, "we could turn back and find something else to do if you don't want to stay here."

It took Hiro a moment to figure out what the man was saying before something warm bloomed in his chest. Hot Doctor was offering him an exit, he realized. He had somehow figured out that Hiro had a small (large) aversion to crowds and now—he groaned mentally. Crap, maybe the man was more observant than he had originally thought.

"Hiro?"

Hiro sighed, "I'm fine," he said, "really, I am. I want to walk around with you and we're here now, right? We've had to brave through traffic to get here and it’d be a shame to turn back, so don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" the man asked, sounding concerned still as he expertly dodged a car that was backing out from their parking spot.

"Positive," Hiro said firmly, with an added nod, more to assure himself than the man who was asking. They were already here and sure, he could practically feel the creeping tendrils of nervousness now that he thought about it, but he didn't feel like running away just yet.

With his reassurance, Hot Doctor found a parking spot with all the other motorcycles and neatly parked. He got off first after turning the machine off and moved to help Hiro, even if he wasn't injured. Hiro allowed it, mostly because he wanted to feel the man wrap his arms around him again, no matter how brief it was.

He took in the sight of people walking in large groups together and bit down on his bottom lip. There was no turning back now.

 

.

 

"So where to first, the museum or the food stand?" Hot Doctor asked as they made their way out of the parking lot.

Hiro tore his eyes away from the crowds he had been discreetly watching to smile tentatively up at the man. "You're still hungry after that breakfast? You should've told me, I would've made more." Hiro had made the usual amount of food when he was in charge of breakfast at his house, but unlike Aunt Cass' normal sized portions, it turned out that Hot Doctor ate closer to what Hiro would himself.

Between the both of them, the breakfast didn't stand a chance.

Hot Doctor laughed, "I didn't want to trouble you; it was already a miracle that I woke up to breakfast at all. Usually I have to ride to the nearest diner if I want what you made today."

Hiro took a second to digest that information before gaping in surprise. "You can't cook!" he exclaimed loud enough to have people near them turn their heads.

For once, Hiro didn't care what they thought of him though, because Hot Doctor was blushing and Hiro had finally found something else to add to his (very short) list of the man's imperfections.

"I can make macaroni and cheese," the man said, a crappy excuse in the face of Hiro's amusement.

"From the box or from scratch?"

The man looked away, a small pout pulling at his lips.

Hiro laughed before it hit him, "Wait, wait, if you can't cook, then why did you have all that food in the fridge? No offense, but I would’ve expected something more along the lines of ramen than what you had."

Hot Doctor coughed and rubbed at the back of his nape, “You didn’t see my pantry then?” He muttered before smiling, “and to answer your question, while I don’t cook, my cousin does. She and my friends visit once a week for dinner, and since I have a large fridge that I, quote-on-quote, ‘never use’, she’s liberated it from me.” He chuckled before brightening up, as if an idea had just smacked him in the head. "Why don't you come next time? We meet up on Sundays!"

At the suggestion, Hiro went from smiling fondly at the man’s reactions to biting nervously down on his lip as he looked away. Three days from now, Hiro thought to himself apprehensively. Usually he would've been all for it if it gave him a reason to visit Hot Doctor again, but meeting the man's friends... _What if they didn't like him?_ Hot Doctor obviously cared a lot about them, and Hiro knew that if he were forced to choose, there would be no competition.

Hiro didn’t want to meet them—at least not yet; but when he looked back and caught the hopeful look on the man’s face, he stopped himself from downright denying him. "I don't know," was what he settled for instead.

Hot Doctor’s smile still faded at his words before a flash of determination crossed his features. ”Why not?" he asked, tone filled with an obstinate curiosity but void of anything cruel or accusing.

Hiro could only smile fondly because, _ah_ , he almost forgot that this man had a stubborn streak a mile long. “I’ll have to think about it,” he said.

Hot Doctor opened his mouth before shutting it, obviously thinking better. He narrowed his eyes, lips twitching up into a small smile. “Promise?” He asked.

Hiro hummed, “Maybe with a little incentive,” he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

Hot Doctor chuckled, “Alright, I’ll bite. What incentive?”

Hiro crossed his arms, bringing one hand up to tap his chin as he thought. “How about…”, he paused before an idea hit him; he blushed, grin fading into a small smile, “how about dinner?”

“And a movie?” Was Hot Doctor’s immediate quip before he seemed to realize what he had just implied. His resulting blush was both immediate and bright, red staining his cheeks and moving rapidly up to color the tips of his ears. “U-Uh, I m-mean—“ he started to stammer.

Hiro stopped walking.

Hot Doctor continued for a couple of paces before he realized, turning on the spot to face him. “I…” he started, mouth opening and closing as he searched for the words.

Hiro could feel his own blush grow as he stood there and smiled, waiting.

“W-Would you…?”

People passed by them throwing them curious glances, but for once Hiro didn’t feel apprehensive or hesitant. Instead, he felt a strange calm, a readiness to step out into the void and accept whatever there was to come.

Hot Doctor ran a hand over the back of his head, ruffling the hair there. He looked at Hiro before looking away again, “Would you like to h-have dinner and maybe watch a m-movie with uh…” he cringed, stealing another glance. “With… me?”

Before Hiro could answer, a soft “aww” filtered in from someone in the crowd.

Hiro turned to immediately frown at the group of people that had gathered, watching them scatter away under his gaze before turning back to the man in front of him.

Hot Doctor looked mortified beyond belief, embarrassment making him look down and shuffle his feet in a way that made him resemble a nervous little boy trying to ask for something that he wasn’t sure he should be asking for. It was both so adorable and so disgustingly endearing that Hiro was tempted to take out his phone and take a picture. In fact, he stuck his hand into his pant pocket, pulling out his phone to do just that. One little picture wouldn’t hurt, right?

Before he could unlock the device however, a person bumping into him from behind knocked the phone out of his hands. It fell with a loud clatter, screen down onto the rough concrete. He winced, knowing that scratches would be imminent, before quickly moving to pick it up, frowning as he gently wiped away the grit.

“Hey!” Hot Doctor was by his side moments later, his previous embarrassment replaced by a deep frown, his irritation obvious in the way he glared at something—or rather, _someone_ past Hiro’s shoulder. He turned to face Hiro, “Is your phone okay?” He asked.

Hiro just nodded before sighing because, yep, there were those scratches he had been afraid of—the only good part, however, was the fact that there wasn’t a single crack on the screen. He could at least be grateful for that.

“Please watch where you’re going next time,” Hot Doctor said, pulling Hiro back to Earth.

He looked at the man in surprise, taking note of the fists clenched at his side and the way his eyes narrowed, nothing in them but indignation; Hot Doctor was pissed and was doing a poor job at hiding it because, while the words he had said might have been polite, his tone was anything but.

Following Hot Doctor’s gaze, Hiro took in the man standing a couple of feet away from them looking bored, his arm around a nervous looking girl who was looking frantically between her boyfriend and Hot Doctor. “I wouldn’t have to watch where I was going if your little _boyfriend_ would stand to the side instead of blocking people’s way,” the man said, his tone flippant, as if he was just talking about brushing dust off his shoulder and nothing more.

Hiro studied him and wondered why he was starting trouble. He didn’t recognize him so he wasn’t an old bully, but the way that he had said the word ‘boyfriend’ gave him a big clue as to what kind of person they were dealing with.  By the way Hot Doctor’s frown grew, Hiro could tell that he had gotten the same idea.

However, instead of backing down, Hot Doctor looked more determined as he took a step forward, nostrils flaring, “How about next time you just walk around and keep on walking.”

The man just laughed as if it was the funniest joke he had heard in years, a cruel glint in his eye. “And why should I have to cater to the likes of _you_.”

Before Hot Doctor could do something stupid, Hiro rushed forward to stand in his way. He placed his hands on the man’s chest, shaking his head when dark coffee eyes looked down at him. “It’s fine,” he said firmly, pausing to let his words sink in before continuing, “just some minor scratches on my phone; nothing that I can’t fix.”

Hot Doctor studied him for a second, frown still prominent on his face and dark eyes filled with righteous anger. He looked back up to continue glaring over Hiro’s shoulder.

Hiro just mentally sighed, “Come on,” he coaxed. His mind raced for something to say before an idea came to him, “it’s pretty windy,” he said quickly, “and I wanted to stop by the gift shop to look at their sweatshirts.”

Hot Doctor stiffened before looking down at him again, dark brown eyes sweeping over his whole body with concern growing on his handsome features.

_Gotcha_ , Hiro thought as he faked a shiver, biting down on his urge to grin widely; maybe Doctor Mode was good for something, after all.

“You should’ve told me,” Hot Doctor said as he slipped out of his leather jacket, attention fully diverted. He draped it over Hiro’s shoulders before pressing the back of his hand against Hiro’s cheeks. He frowned some more, but it wasn’t the ‘stop talking before I challenge you to a duel’ frown so Hiro counted that as a win.

“It was fine on the way here,” he said with a shrug, hands already moving to pull the jacket closer to him. “Besides, it’s still pretty early; it’ll probably warm up in a little bit.” He smiled reassuringly and wondered if the man would notice if his jacket suddenly went missing.

Hot Doctor rolled his eyes before draping his arm over Hiro’s shoulders, pulling him close as they started to walk in the general direction of the gift shop. Hiro enjoyed the proximity probably more than he should have, but his giddiness at having the man willingly stand by him didn’t distract him from noticing the hard jostle Hot Doctor dished out to the now annoyed looking man when they passed by. “Watch where you’re going next time,” he heard the good doctor mutter, tone sharp.

When they got a good distance away, Hiro tilted his head up to give them man a look.

“What?” Hot Doctor asked when he finally noticed his stare, an eyebrow raised to emphasize his question.

Hiro rolled his eyes, “You _know_ what,” he said.

Hot Doctor just chuckled, unbelievably unrepentant.

Hiro couldn’t help his own smile at the sight as he shook his head. He moved closer to the man’s side so he could wrap an arm around his waist. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said quietly.

“Yes I did,” was the man’s firm reply, “if not for you, then for me.”

Happiness and something akin to a bright, fluttering hope filled Hiro’s chest as he leaned in and breathed deeply, heart picking up double time. _How can you be so wonderful_ , Hiro wanted to ask; _why are you so wonderful?_ He had a million things he wanted to say, but what came out instead was a flustered “Thank you,” that warmed his cheeks.

Catching sight of the gift store, he rushed forward before he could hear Hot Doctor’s reply, dodging people in an effort to get away long enough for his blush to die down.

 

.

 

If he had looked back, he would’ve seen Hot Doctor stop in his step, blush dusting his cheeks as he smiled a dopey smile at Hiro’s retreating figure.

“You’re welcome."

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 11)
> 
> **AND BEFORE YOU ASK**  
>  \- did i just confirm that hot doc is not adverse to liking people of the same gender? well yes, yes i did ;D  
> \- did i just ruin hot doc trying to ask hiro out on a real life date? *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*  
> \- did i also make another cameo? yes, yes i did ~~and this time i'm not trash, i mean, yeah i'm still trash, but for this chapter i was making sounds other than squelch hahaha, no, no you dont have to show me to the door, i can walk myself out~~
> 
> **& & FANART :'D**  
> pandora-box-of-mind: gAHHHH LOOOK AT THIS [MINI-COMIC OF CH 14](http://pandora-box-of-mind.tumblr.com/post/111665088360/a-scene-from-hot-doctor-by-hoshikuso-for-some) it's adorable ok, just adorable :'D i am amazed it's so freaking cute omggg  
> rotsloeh: [cHAPTER 15 ADORABLENESS](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/112136787145/doodles-doodles-for-hoshikusos-the-hot-doctor) with an embarrassed hot doc and a giggling hiro & that scene where hiro is stumbling back and hot doc catches him & rly wut more could you want man, what more could you want :') it's too cute omg && [this extra pic of hot doc, hiro, and cass doing a group jump](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/111742362995/the-hot-doctor-officially-has-to-most-kudos-of-any)  
> bc tHIS FIC HAS THE MOST KUDOS OUT OF ALL THE BH6 FICS ON AO3??? AND GUYS??? GUYS, WHAT??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? *HUGS ALL OF YOU* whispers: u guys are the best, i love you all ok. now excuse me while i go cry over there


	17. only half a blue sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro stood inside the San Fransokyo Golden Gate Bridge gift shop, staring at the sweater display with indecision written all over his face.
> 
> The sweaters were all the basic 'Visit San Fransokyo!' or 'I visited the Golden Gate Bridge and all I got was this stupid sweatshirt,' in varying shades of bland. If this was what they were offering the tourists, no wonder some of them looked irritated. Or maybe that was his fault, he had been standing in front of display for a while now, blocking the walkway and– he moved closer to the stand, shooting the woman who glared at him a sheepish smile that she ignored with a huff– yeah, definitely him then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [SWEATER REF PLS CLICK SO YOU WONT BE CONFUSED](http://vector-magz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/couple-shirt-vector.jpg) only imagine that heart thing on a hoodie with writing above and below it mmk  
>  &&  
> a couple of notes before i send you all on your merry way:  
> \- this chapter was supposed to end happy  
> \- dashi has his reasons for doing the things he does ok, he may seem perfect but in reality he's very careful about getting hurt so he ends up being very hesitant in his own way and, well, everything will come to light sooner or later ok  
> \- THEY ARE END GAME and their feelings are definitely mutual, just... well, they both have issues they needs to resolve and their bond just needs to strengthen first  
> \- SLOW. BURN.  
> \- they just established their friendship like that morning haha  
> \- trust me OK, I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING ~~sort of~~
> 
> disclaimer: i don't own bh6 lol cries; beta'd by the wonderful [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi)
> 
> ALRIGHT– wait, wait wait  
>   
> okay, now you can go  
> whispers: pls don't burn down my barn

—X—

 

Hiro stood inside the San Fransokyo Golden Gate Bridge gift shop, staring at the sweater display with indecision written all over his face.

The sweaters were all the basic 'Visit San Fransokyo!' or 'I visited the Golden Gate Bridge and all I got was this stupid sweatshirt,' in varying shades of bland. If this was what they were offering the tourists, no wonder some of them looked irritated. Or maybe that was his fault, he _had_ been standing in front of display for a while now, blocking the walkway and– he moved closer to the stand, shooting the woman who glared at him a sheepish smile that she ignored with a huff– yeah, definitely him then.

With a heavy sigh, he turned back to the display. All of them were boring, but the couple ones... the hoodies with the cleverly matching puns and the arrows that pointed at a significant other. They were adorable and Hiro ached to buy a pair for Hot Doctor and himself. 'Aren't they cute?' he would say, and Hot Doctor would do that cute indulgent chuckle and look fond, 'Yeah, adorable just like you,' and then they would put on the sweaters and hold hands before kissing and yeah– perfect. It would be perfect–

Except for the whole entire blaring neon sign that screamed that they were currently just friends. Hiro deflated–

"What are you looking at over here?"

–before jumping 2 feet in the air with a surprised squeak. He whipped around to glare at the man, one hand over his chest. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Hot Doctor chuckled, "You know the chances of-"

"If you're going to say something extremely nerdy, just stop right now," he cut in, his firm tone ruined by the smile that pulled at his lips at the end. Their eyes met and Hiro took in the man's fond expression; God, it would be so easy to just drag the man down and kiss him.

He looked away, blushing furiously before gesturing toward the stand of sweaters. "So uh," he cleared his throat, "which one do you think would look better on me?"

After a second, Hot Doctor turned his head as well, taking in the clothing items. "Your favorite color is purple, right?"

Hiro jolted, whipping his head to the side quick enough to know that he would most likely have a crick to deal with later. But that didn't matter because, "You remembered."

Hot Doctor turned and smiled that heartbreakingly soft smile, "How could I forget?"

He said it as casually as stating that the sky was blue and that the Earth revolved around the sun. It hurt Hiro's heart (because he must be this way with everyone, right? Hiro wasn't special, he wasn't- not to this man at least), but lifted it at the same time because Hot Doctor remembered his favorite color. It was such a tiny little aspect, not that important in the general scheme of things, but Hot Doctor _remembered_.

"I like this one," his voice pulled Hiro back down to the ground, but with the way his thoughts were rushing a mile a minute, the man could've picked the ugliest sweater in the world and Hiro wouldn't have cared in the least. That is, until the bundle was actually in his hands.

He blushed a deep red, "This is–"

"I like them."

He unfolded the bundle and held it up to stare at it. The color was an eggplant trying (and failing) to be a plum, and on it in big, white letters were the words, ‘I (half heart) San Fransokyo’. The thing that made this particular sweater (that Hiro might or might have not been staring at earlier) special was the white-bordered half of a red heart on the side, just waiting for a significant other to make it whole.

Hiro pulled the sweater to his chest and hugged it before turning his attention back to the man he had come with.

Hot Doctor was still rummaging through the pile, looking for the matching half in his size if the eyebrow furrowing and the bypassing of the other eggplant/plum hoodies said anything. He was almost at the bottom before he paused, looked at a tag, and proceeded to pull the sweater out, his expression utterly pleased.

Hiro gave a small laugh at the sight of it, effortlessly pulling the man’s attention back to him.

“What?” Hot Doctor asked with a smile on his lips.

Hiro just shook his head, “Nothing,” he said, “but hey, since you know my favorite color, it’s only fair that I know yours.”

Hot Doctor raised an eyebrow, “That’s really random,” he commented, sounding torn between amused and incredulous.

Hiro rolled his eyes, “Just answer,” he demanded, pouting when Hot Doctor raised his other eyebrow expectantly. They stared at each other before Hiro huffed, “ _please_.”

The man grinned wide enough to blind him while Hiro wondered if his personality was rubbing off on the man or if he had been obnoxious this whole time and Hiro had just been distracted by his dashing good looks and puppy-like gestures.

“It’s red,” he finally said. Then, “wait, what are you doing?”

Hiro didn’t look up as he started to rummage through the pile of reddish/orange-ish couple hoodies, looking for one that would fit him and also match the eggplant/plum one that Hot Doctor still held in his hands. “Looking for a red one,” he said as he checked a tag for the size.

He expected a myriad of questions, such as ‘why?’ or maybe ‘are you doing this because you like-like me?’, but after a long second all Hot Doctor had to say was a quiet, “But we won’t match,” that almost sounded mournful.

Hiro glanced at him to—yep, there were those puppy eyes again. He stifled a laugh before turning back to the pile. When he got his own size, he held up the newly picked sweater and gave it a critical glance, nudging the man with his elbow until he did the same. Their hearts would be complete if they pressed against each other’s side, but he wanted to check, “Just in case,” he said aloud as he moved his sweater until it touched Hot Doctor’s.

The red/orange was a surprisingly pleasing match against the eggplant/plum and, when he glanced at Hot Doctor’s expression, Hiro knew that he thought so as well.

“This way,” he started, softly, “you get to wear my favorite color, and I get to wear yours.”

Hot Doctor turned his head and gave Hiro an unreadable look that warmed his cheeks and set fire to his racing heart. “Hiro,” the man said, his voice unbearably warm.

Hiro leaned closer, “Yes?”

“Are you going to loiter in my store or are you going to buy something?”

The shopkeeper’s voice was like a well-aimed brick thrown at a glass sculpture. Her mere presence ruined whatever atmosphere that had washed over them, sending it away without a thought. Hiro mourned quietly while Hot Doctor gave her a strained smile and held up the sweater he had chosen.

The woman gave them both an unimpressed look before gesturing to the counter holding the cash register. Hiro would’ve probably stayed firmly in place, still mourning for whatever he had lost, if Hot Doctor hadn’t wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gently pulled him along.

“You okay there?” He asked quietly while the woman rung up both their sweaters.

Hiro sighed and allowed himself a brief second of really leaning on the man before he straightened up, shrugging away the crushing disappointment of losing something filled with so much potential. “I’m fine,” he said, and before the man could say anything else, he whipped out his wallet from the back pocket of his borrowed pants, sliding over his debit card to the woman before the man could even offer to pay.

The indignant “hey!” he got from the man was definitely worth the money.

“I’m going to get you back for that,” Hot Doctor said when they made their way out of the store.

Hiro hummed and slipped out of Hot Doctor’s leather jacket before working on ripping the tag off his new sweater and pulling the garment awkwardly over his head. Smoothing it down, he smiled happily as he stared at it. Buying this sweater somehow felt like having something of Hot Doctor’s without the stealing part, and the fact that it was in the man’s favorite color made it all the sweeter.

“You like it that much, huh?”

Hiro turned his head to face Hot Doctor before blushing when he caught the amused look in the man’s eye. He folded the man’s leather jacket over one arm before glaring at its owner, “It’s warm,” he defended.

Hot Doctor didn’t say anything to that, turning his attention to pulling off the tag on his own sweater before pulling it on as graceful as a swan. The thing was a little too big on him and was weirdly baggy in some places, but he still managed to look amazing in it. The man looked down at it before turning his attention back to Hiro, his grin wide and filled with happiness. “We’re matching,” he said before chuckling, “well, kind of.”

“I don’t know,” Hiro said, “I think we look great.”

Hot Doctor’s grin tapered down into a fond smile before he brightened up at whatever idea had hit him. “You know what this means, right?” He held out his hand expectantly.

Hiro looked at it before placing his hand in the man’s own, letting out a sound of surprise when Hot Doctor tugged him to his side. His arm moved to wrap itself around Hiro’s shoulders and, yeah, ok, if he was going to do that, Hiro certainly wouldn’t be complaining.

While Hiro was working on melding their sides together (and forming the heart with their sweaters), Hot Doctor worked on taking out his phone and trying to get on whatever app he was looking for with one hand. When Hot Doctor pulled up his phone’s camera app, Hiro turned to give the man an incredulous look.

“Really?”

“Hey, we’re supposed to be tourists, remember?” The man said with a grin while he nudged Hiro lightly with his hip, “Now come on, smile for me.”

Hiro didn’t look at the camera, but couldn’t help his smile at those words, “You’re such a dork,” he said, and was not at all surprised when he heard the shutter go off.

“Hiroooo,” the man whined.

Hiro snickered but obligingly turned his head and smiled at the camera.

 

.

 

Two hours and several pictures later found them sitting at a picnic table near the food stores.

Hiro was going through the pictures on Hot Doctor’s phone while the man sat next to him, nursing the bottle of water he had gotten somewhere in-between the picture of them making funny faces at the bridge’s inventor and the nice ones of them sitting close together in front of the large fountain, looking like the perfectly cheesy, tourist couple that they weren’t.

“Hey,” he started hesitantly, “do you mind if I send these to my phone?”

Hot Doctor waved a hand, “Go ahead,” he said, sounding like he was minutes away from falling asleep.

Hiro pulled his eyes away from the phone to raise an eyebrow at the man, “Seriously?”

Normal people would’ve been confused, or at the least ask what Hiro meant, but Hot Doctor just smiled. “I had a late night last night,” he said, “you wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”

Hiro put the phone down on his lap, his lips twitching at the corners. “Oh yeah?” He asked, playing along. “Try me.”

Hot Doctor sighed, “Well, an old friend of mine called late last night, right?”

Hiro’s heartbeat picked up at the word and he had to purse his lips to stop them from splitting into a grin.

“And we’re talking about super late, not I-was-just-about-to-go-to-bed late, but more like I-was-already-asleep-what-did-I-do-to-deserve-this late.”

“Uh-huh,” Hiro said, nodding along, “so what did you do next?”

Hot Doctor’s smile grew, “Well, he was being difficult and hung up after a second or two, so I did what any concerned friend would.”

“You went full stalker mode?”

Hot Doctor elbowed his side, making Hiro laugh and try to scoot away.

“Who’s telling the story here, huh?” The man asked, turning his head to grin at him.

Hiro put up his hands in a surrendering motion, “Okay, okay,” he said with a snicker, “continue.”

The man shook his head, grin still firmly in place, “So I did what any concerned friend would do and tracked his phone—“ He abruptly stopped when Hiro burst into laughter. “What?” He asked, the beginning of his own laugh following his words.

Hiro clutched his stomach, his amusement causing him actual pain, “I can’t honestly—“ he stopped, taking in big gulping breaths of air, “you just—“ he wiped away tears from his eyes, “you’re unbelievable.”

Hot Doctor laughed, “Just telling it like it is.”

Hiro rolled his eyes but his grin was still wide enough to hurt his cheeks; he elbowed the man in retaliation, “You’re such a stalker.”

Hot Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Takes one to know one?” he asked, his grin bellying the nature of the question that the man was really asking.

‘How did you get my number?’

It was a perfectly executed blow and really, Hiro doubted that anyone else could do such a good job at delivering it. He had a chance to turn it back on the man, to say that Aunt Cass had given it to him and, oh, yeah, so when did you two start being all buddy-buddy with each other? He could’ve, _and_ , if he were still that Hiro who hadn’t had the absolute pleasure of meeting this man, he probably would’ve

But… he looked at the man now, took in the expectant look on his stupidly handsome face and sighed, because Hot Doctor had been nothing but honest and he, of all people, deserved that same honesty in return.

“Remember when you, uh,” he paused and winced, “gave me your phone to enter in my address for the GPS?”

Hot Doctor blinked his expression turning pensive as he probably tried to rummage through his memories for that particular moment.

Hiro prepared himself for any looks of disgust (that he hardly doubted would come now, but hey, it never hurt to be safe), only to be surprised moments later when Hot Doctor lit up and started laughing.

“I never even suspected,” he said with awe, “you did it so fast.”

Hiro blushed, not sure what to do with the unexpected compliment. “Uh, y-yeah,” he stuttered, “I’m a pretty fast texter, and, uh…”

Hot Doctor looked at him, “Yes?” he prompted when Hiro didn’t immediately continue.

“You don’t find it uhm… creepy?”

The man blinked before his smile grew into a smirk, “Do I find it creepy? Yeah, I think I’d be weird if I didn’t,” he said, “but I’m okay with it.”

Hiro furrowed his brows, “You’re… okay with it?”

Hot Doctor nodded, “Yep. It also helps that you were creepy first.”

Hiro took a moment to process those words before frowning, unimpressed. “That doesn’t negate your creepiness,” he pointed out, “you’re still creepy.”

The man shrugged, as good-natured as always, “I didn’t say that it would,” he said before chuckling, “but, I guess it’s just nice to know that I’m not the only creep in this relationship.”

Hiro gave the man a look before sighing, shoulders slumping as he face palmed himself. “I just can’t win with you, can I?”

Hot Doctor chuckled before standing up, “Nope,” he said as he stretched, “and I’ll prove it to you right now by buying us some lunch.”

Hiro picked up the man’s leather jacket and phone before standing up. “Is that a challenge?” He asked before smirking.

Hot Doctor’s grin was all sharp canines, “I guess so,” he said as he plucked his phone out of Hiro’s grasps.

“May the fastest payer win,” Hiro teased before dashing away in the direction of the food stands.

“Wha—hey!” He heard Hot Doctor shout from behind him.

Hiro could only laugh.

 

.

 

By the time Hot Doctor pulled up to the Lucky Cat Café, the sun was sinking in the sky and Hiro was starting to feel the drain of energy from running around all day.

“We’re here,” he heard the man say through the helmet speakers.

Hiro didn’t bother opening his eyes, just mumbled something incoherent as he hugged Hot Doctor tighter.

“Come on Hiro,” Hot Doctor said, “you don’t want me to carry you in like last time, do you?”

Hiro sobered up quickly at that, his cheeks turning an embarrassing red.

Hot Doctor snickered before sliding off the motorcycle, disengaging his helmet along the way. He did the same for Hiro’s helmet, beaming down at him when he was free, helmet hair and all. “There you are, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased.

Hiro just frowned, holding up his hands and making grabby motions.

Hot Doctor chuckled before obliging, helping him down even though they both knew that he didn’t need the help.

They walked across the street together, Hiro dreading saying goodbye with every step he took. When they were mere feet away from the door, Hot Doctor stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, making him turn around and blink when he caught sight of the blush painted across the man’s cheeks.

“So, uh,” he started, “you never really said anything to my question…”

Hiro tilted his head to the side, “I thought I answered that,” he said, thinking of the last question the man had asked him about how Hiro had gotten his number.

Hot Doctor shook his head, “No, not that one. The uh… the one about dinner and a movie?” He winced at the end, as if he had somehow found a way to stab himself with his own suggestion.

Hiro could only stand there, eyes wide with surprise.

“I m-mean—“ Hot Doctor continued, his blush brightening as his eyes flicked from side to side, “friends do that kind of stuff all the time, right?”

Hiro was recoiling before he could stop himself, disappointment hitting his chest like a speeding train. He took a step back because, damn, damn, _damn it_. He had told himself not to expect, not to hope because—

“Hiro?”

He looked up before turning away when the man’s expression morphed into one of surprise.

“Hiro...?” Hot Doctor sounded worried now, as if he somehow knew that he had done something to hurt him.

Hiro just wanted to run up to his room and maybe cry into his pillow for a long time.

A warm hand wrapped around his wrist and Hiro tried hard not to flinch and shake it off. “Hiro,” Hot Doctor said his tone closer to pleading now.

“Dinner and a movie,” Hiro said, staring resolutely down at the ground as he tried to steady his breathing.

Hot Doctor’s grip on his wrist tightened as if he was trying to prevent Hiro from running away.

“I’m b-busy next week,” _liar,_ “so rain check?”

“What about the week after?” Hot Doctor asked, sounding stubborn—as if he wouldn’t give up until Hiro confirmed a date.

Hiro cracked a small smile because this man and his stubborn streak would surely be the death of him one day.

“The week after sounds good,” he managed to force out.

“Okay,” Hot Doctor said before sharply tugging Hiro into a tight hug.

Hiro’s breath stuttered painfully in his chest and he worked hard not to let a single tear drop as he hugged the man back, burying his face into the eggplant/plum sweatshirt holding the other half of his heart.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Q's for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 11)
> 
> hahahaha did you guys make it? are you crying? need a tissue?  
> no? oh, what's that you said you needed to hit me? oh... well, ok, just try not to aim for the face whispers: i bruise like a peach
> 
> **FANART TIMEE** (it's like mail time but better)  
>  hitrashicant: look at thiissss! [DA MACARONI SCENEEE!](http://hitrashicant.tumblr.com/post/112296028296/hoshikuso-pls-stop-this-i-stg-im-not-even-past) omg hot doc looks adorable in all of his embarrassed glory *0* i want to reach into the screen and pinch his cheeks. and ahh, let's not start with hiro (we'd be here all day lol)  
> pandora-box-of-mind: remember the comic from ch 14? [WELL IT'S FINISHED! LOOK AT IT](http://pandora-box-of-mind.tumblr.com/post/112497205405/remmember-when-i-said-i-will-draw-the-rest-well) it's glooooorious! :'D look at all the expressions on their faces and AHH, shower it with love, do itttt  
> glasfeder: [friday thROWBACKK TO CH 1](http://glasfeder.tumblr.com/post/112534787112/so-ive-got-a-new-tablet-and-i-just-have-to-figure), i mean look at this adorableness of hot doc fixing hiro up, i mean, gahhhh their happy expressions make me happy :'D  
> rotsloeh: *SCREECHES* ok ok but no omg, look at this it's amazing :'D [HOT DOC AND HIRO WALKING LOOKING SO HAPPY AND I JUST–](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/post/112764170908/okay-im-so-sorry-for-bombarding-you-with-my) sOBS and it's in /color/ too! so eye pleasing, so great orz && dat leather jacket around hiro's shoulders i, yes. ok. yes.  
> Ingenuemi: AHH I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE MENTION but guys omg [LOOK AT THIS CUTENESS](http://vialisha12.deviantart.com/art/Drawing-for-a-another-wonderful-fic-517532033?ga_submit_new=10%253A1425302352) from last chapter with dashi all cute asking Hiro on the movie dinner date thing! Ahahhh super cute I just, THANKYOU SO Much!   
> whispers: i love them all


	18. this love is heading in the same direction (that's up)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro wasn’t hiding.
> 
> Just because he had spent the rest of week tinkering in his garage, did not mean that he was hiding. He had a lot of work to get through, after all; things to build, robots to think up — he wasn’t hiding.
> 
> …Except for the fact that he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm late, god i know i'm late orz i have failed you all i'm sorry  
> whispers: i should have never taken that damn nap  
> bUT I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THE CHAPTER &&i'm looking at you, ppl who wanted to punch me bc of the last chapter haha  
> alternative title: fix-it-chap  
> alternative title#2: the ch that embodies the 'aunt cass is hama-done with hiro's shit' tag  
> alternative title #3: (from my beta) 'Okay im dead its official im dead youve killed me with the overload of cuteness fuck u'  
> HAHAHAHAHAHA enjoy~
> 
> disclaimer: sigh, i dont own bh6 oKAY; beta'd by the wonderful [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi) ~~well, like a majority of it was beta'd bc i actually went back after it was beta'd and probably fucked it up by adding some additional parts and yeah, all mistakes are probably mine orz~~

—X—

 

Hiro wasn’t hiding.

Just because he had spent the rest of week tinkering in his garage, did not mean that he was hiding. He had a lot of work to get through, after all; things to build, robots to think up — he _wasn’t_ hiding.

…Except for the fact that he was.

He sighed and slumped in his seat, disturbing the crumpled pieces of papers strewn all around him. Ever since that goodbye hug from Hot Doctor, Hiro had all but run away from the man. He had needed time doing nothing but scarfing down as much ice cream and pastries as he could filch while his poor heart recovered, and he had gotten it.

Throughout his ordeal, his Aunt had understood and had left him alone, but Hot Doctor, the person whom he had tried hard not to think about, seemed to miss the idea altogether. He had texted Hiro countless times; little messages asking him if he was okay and, ‘you’re not mad at me, are you?’ and ‘Hiro, please tell me what I did wrong. I’ll fix it. Please’.

At first, Hiro had sat there and read them all, then he turned his phone on vibrate so he could watch his anime and was content on ignoring the notifications and the calls until his phone blissfully died. Charging it was just another thing that slipped his mind.

He turned his head now, glancing at the device that was sitting on the corner of his table just waiting for him to walk over and plug it into the wall. It was practically begging him to do it, to feed it some energy so that he could turn it back on and scroll through everything Hot Doctor had sent.

Hiro’s fingers twitched but in the end, he only moved to rummage the papers on his desk, covering the device with layers of unfinished blueprints so he wouldn’t have to look at it. “Out of sight, out of mind,” he muttered to himself determinedly before closing his eyes and sighing; it had been three days since he had seen Hot Doctor and this is what he was doing—covering up his phone with his half-baked ideas as if it would actually work.

“God,” he groaned, “how pathetic.” The worst thing about this whole situation though, was the fact that Hiro didn’t _want_ to avoid Hot Doctor.

Hiro wanted to read the man’s texts and call him back. Hiro wanted to hug him again and feel the way those arms wrapped around him whenever he would unnecessarily help him on and off his motorcycle, and—most importantly—Hiro wanted to watch as he lit up with that stupidly beautiful, fond smile of his.

It had only been three days, but Hiro _missed_ him and it was an absolutely dreadful thing to realize.

He sighed again before lowering his head fully onto the table, closing his eyes as the cool wood pressed against his cheek. He didn’t realize that he had fallen into a doze until a firm knock on the garage door startled him.

Sitting up, he turned his head to stare, mind whirring back to life when another firm knock followed its predecessor. Aunt Cass never knocked, and there was only one other person Hiro could think of who would visit him.

“Hiro?” Hot Doctor’s voice came from the door and, as much as he was daydreaming about him before, all Hiro could feel now was immense panic.

“Hiro, are you in there?”

“Oh, he’s in there alright,” He heard his traitorous aunt say, and crap, crap, crap, if she was helping him—

The sound of a key being inserted reverberated loudly through the room.

Hiro shot out of his seat, gaping stupidly. The doorknob jiggled and, not knowing what else to do, he ran to the door and pushed his back against it, arms thrown out in case she decided to push her way in.

“Hiro Hamada!” His aunt scolded, voice sharp when the door was pushed back by his weight.

“G-Go away!” He shouted back, digging his heels into the ground.

“Maybe I should come back another time…?” He heard Hot Doctor say, his tone filled with a sad hesitance.

“No, honey,” His aunt said, her tone firm. “He’s been stewing in here for days now, and I don’t know what’s happened but I am _not_ going to stand for this behavior any longer. You two are going to sort this out today and if it means breaking down this door, I will.”

“But…” Hot Doctor said, trailing off.

Hiro could imagine his face, the pout that he was probably sporting, the way his eyebrows were probably downturned with indecision and hurt. He could imagine it so clearly he felt like curling into a ball at the mental image. ‘I’m sorry for avoiding you,’ he wanted to say, ‘I just need a little more time to get over this,’ but instead of saying any of those things, he ended up shouting, “Just leave!” That sounded harsh even to him.

“Hiro!” was his aunt’s shocked admonishment.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered out (and God, he really was), closing his eyes at the mess this was morphing into. “I’m really not feeling well right now so—“

“Are you sick?” Hot Doctor interrupted, and crap, crap, crap, double crap was he an actual idiot. Did he _want_ the man to break in here?

“No, I m-mean—I’m not sick,” he yelled back, wincing at the correction and immediately knowing that it wouldn’t do any good. Hot Doctor was stubborn and determined, and judging by the way he acted in the past, Hiro wouldn’t have been surprised if the man was willing to jump over a million hurdles if he could help whoever was hurt. It was admirable, but right now, with him pressed against his last barrier separating him from the man, Hiro was more horrified than impressed. “I’m okay,” he tried again, “really… I just… everything is a mess right now…”

He expected the man to rebuff his pathetic sounding excuse and burst through the door (and if he was the one trying to break into the garage, Hiro knew there was no way he could keep him out) but there was quiet on the other side before Hiro heard a sigh.

He held his breath—“I hope you get better soon then,” Hot Doctor said—before jolting in surprise because, _what_?

If Hiro weren’t trying to hide from the man he would’ve flung the door open and demanded to know if _he_ was the sick one because, _what was happening here_? Why was he giving up so easily? This wasn’t— but on the other hand… wasn’t this good for him? Hot Doctor was giving up; he was following Hiro’s wishes and would be leaving so… shouldn’t he be happy?

“I brought your things,” the man continued, his voice odd, “and… I would understand if you never wanted to see me again.” An added, “It wouldn’t be the first time,” was said so quietly that if Hiro didn’t have his ear pressed to the door, he probably wouldn’t have heard it.

Hiro blinked in surprise before a surge of sadness and burning anger flared to life in his chest. The way Hot Doctor was talking made it seem as if he was trying to say goodbye forever and sure, while Hiro might have wanted space, the mere idea of cutting off ties—that was just not something he would ever allow to happen without a fight.

He was turning and tugging the door open before he could even think about what could happen.

Hot Doctor, who had apparently been leaning against it, stumbled forward, eyes wide with shock when they landed on him.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Hiro demanded with a scowl, his frantically beating heart screaming at him to fix it, _fix this_!

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Hot Doctor breathed out after a second, his surprise dying down into a fragile hurt that looked wrong on him.

Hiro flinched because Hot Doctor wasn’t asking a question, he was making a statement; he _knew_ that Hiro was avoiding him and crap, crap, _crap_ —what exactly was he supposed to say to that?

His silence only served as a confirmation however and Hiro watched with growing panic as Hot Doctor seemed to shrink on himself, shoulders slumping as he looked away.

“But not because of you!” He was quick to yell, “I was avoiding you because I felt—“ he stopped himself, biting sharply down on his tongue. His feelings were not meant to be blurted out in the middle of this—whatever it was; hell, knowing his luck, it would probably make it worse.

He met the man’s eyes before looking away and taking a deep breath, “I felt—” he started haltingly before stopping to collect his thoughts, “I didn’t… I mean, I had thought, but then you said, and…” he let his words die because God, how was he supposed to explain himself without spilling every stupid feeling he had for the man? “I—“ he stopped himself again before running a hand through his hair, gripping at the strands in frustration.

_Why was this so hard?_

A hand landing tentatively on his shoulder pulled him out of his misery.

Hot Doctor looked hesitant when Hiro looked up at him, white teeth flashing out between pink lips as he viciously chewed at the bottom one. “You don’t…” he started slowly, “you don’t hate me…?”

“I could never hate you,” Hiro said, the words tripping over themselves to fall out of his mouth.

Usually he hated when he would blurt things out without thinking about it first because a lot of cruel laughter had been had at his expense when his brain-to-mouth filter failed. Now, however, he found that he couldn’t be gladder because the smallest of smiles was tugging at Hot Doctor’s lips and it was as if the sun was peeking out from behind dark clouds for the first time in years.

“Really…?” He asked shyly.

“Really,” Hiro affirmed, nodding.

Hot Doctor’s smile grew and it was as beautiful as he remembered. He smiled back, fingers twitching at his side with the need to drag this man into another hug. _Do it_ , his heart encouraged, _you’re still friends and friends hug friends all the time_.

Before he could take another step closer however, the sound of his aunt clearing her throat made him jump back and startled Hot Doctor if the way his eyes widened said anything. They both turned to her, Hiro wincing when he caught sight of her wide grin.

She looked extremely pleased with herself and something told him that there was no way they weren’t going to have a long conversation about this later. “Now that you’ve made up, I’ll be going back to the café,” she said, sounding as if she hadn’t threatened to break down the garage door ten minutes ago.

Hiro nodded alongside Hot Doctor, feeling like he was eight years old again and being nicely punished for whatever it was he had broken.

“Thank you for helping me,” Hot Doctor said, his tone nothing but grateful.

Aunt Cass’ expression softened into something fond (and God, how much have they been talking for her to be at that level of fond?), “Sure thing sweetie,” she said, “but I don’t want to help you with this again, okay. He may be a brat, but he’s still my cute nephew and I won’t stand for him getting hurt.”

Hot Doctor nodded, looking oddly serious.

Hiro just blushed because, “Hello! I’m standing right here, you know.”

His aunt spared him a look before giggling. “I’m going to go back to the café. And Hiro, honey?”

Hiro pursed his lips, “Yes, Aunt Cass?”

“I’m expecting you to work some shifts later,” she said, a raise of her eyebrow practically challenging him.

Hiro only sighed, “Yes, Aunt Cass.”

She smiled, pleased, looking over the two of them before finally turning and making her way back to the café, humming the entire time.

“Your aunt is lovely,” Hot Doctor said when she was an earshot’s away.

Hiro snorted, “My aunt is evil,” he said.

They looked at each other before laughing.

 “So,” Hiro started, “do you want to come inside?” He pointed at the garage, a hopeful smile on his face.

Hot Doctor brightened up and opened his mouth to say something before stopping himself with a wince, “I, uh, I can’t.”

Hiro blinked and lowered his hand, “Oh—“

“No,” Hot Doctor interrupted, looking panicked, “I would honestly love nothing more than to hang out with you, but I slipped away from my friends to come here and…” he looked scared for a moment, “uh, let’s just say that one of them isn’t adverse against tracking me down and dragging me away.”

“Oh,” Hiro said, perking up, “today’s Sunday!”

Hot Doctor nodded, “Yeah,” he said before chuckling, “you remembered.”

Hiro smiled back despite his disappointment, “Only because you invited me,” he told the man.

“And I suppose you haven’t changed your mind about that?” Now it was the man’s turn to look hopeful, and wow, wasn’t that a cute look on him. Hiro was almost tempted to change his mind.

Almost.

“Nope.”

Hot Doctor’s face fell, smile morphing into a pout.

Hiro just laughed and relished in the fact that it was nothing short of genuine.

Hot Doctor was quick to smile again at the sight before something in his pocket let out a loud, shrill sound. He sighed, not needing to check to obviously know who it was. “I need to go,” he said, his tone touched with regret.

“Wait,” Hiro blurted out before he could stop himself.

The man looked at him, an eyebrow raised expectantly.

Hiro blushed before holding out his arms, “Can I uh… have a hug?”

Hot Doctor looked surprised for a second before he rushed forwards, strong arms wrapping around Hiro as he pulled him to himself. Hiro immediately wrapped his own arms around Hot Doctor’s torso, fingers curling into the jacket the man wore in a weak pseudo attempt to hold on forever.

“You don’t ever have to ask me for a hug, okay?” Hot Doctor said.

“Are you giving me permission to surprise hug you?” Hiro asked, highly amused and childishly giddy at the thought.

Hot Doctor chuckled, “Surprise hugs, long hugs, short hugs, I want them all if they’re from you.”

Hiro’s heart picked up double time and God, why him, why did this man have to be so, “Unbelievable,” he muttered, “you’re unbelievable.”

Hot Doctor just hugged him tighter.

Hiro closed his eyes as he sunk into the warmth of their embrace. This man would surely be the death of him one day, and Hiro would enjoy every second of it.

Hot Doctor pulled away slowly when his phone sounded off again, his expression annoyed. “I’m really sorry,” he said, sounding nothing but regretful.

Hiro just smiled, “It’s fine,” he said, “go to your friends but, uh,” he rushed forward again, wrapping his arms around the man, “one last hug.”

Hot Doctor stiffened for a split second before relaxing, returning the hug with his own. His phone went off again and damn if Hiro wasn’t tempted to rummage around for it so he could throw the thing to the ground and silence it forever when Hot Doctor started to reluctantly pull away again.

“I…“ he started, looking ready to apologize again.

Hiro just shook his head, “I’ll charge my phone and text you later.”

The man smiled, “Promise?”

Hiro nodded, smiling back. “Yeah, I’m ready to stop running away.”

Hot Doctor nodded, “Good.”

His phone sounded off once more and Hiro found himself chuckling bitterly at the sound. “Mr. Popular over here,” he teased, before shoving lightly at his chest, “go to your friends before they file you in as kidnapped or something.”

Hot Doctor sighed, “Knowing them, that’s actually a possibility.” Then he chuckled, smiling that fond, warm smile that sent butterflies fluttering through Hiro’s stomach. “See you later?”

Hiro just nodded; glad it wasn’t a goodbye, “Most definitely.” Then he stood back, twisting his fingers into the ends of his jacket in an effort to stop himself from reaching out again. He kept a smile on his face as he watched the man turn and go, letting himself slump against the door frame only when he was out of sight.

He turned to go back inside, heading for his table to dig for his phone and plugging it into the wall before anything else. As it lit up, he found that the dread he had felt from before had all but disappeared. He turned it on and smiled as he sat down.

While he waited for it to catch up, he trailed his hand over the countless designs he had started but ended up scrapping. He had seen nothing but half-baked ideas that would go nowhere but his trashcan, but now he could see the possibilities and the things that they could become.

But, he turned to his computer, “First thing’s first.”

He typed in the website for his aunt’s favorite edible arrangements and ordered their most expensive bouquet of fruit and chocolate. It wouldn’t come close to what he really owed her for all the help she had given him throughout his whole entire life, but it was a nice start.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> \- 'it wouldn't be the first time'?   
> (Q tally: 12)
> 
> [edible arrangements](https://www.ediblearrangements.com/)  
>    
> *winces* soo0o0o did i fix it?  
> whispers: i tried ok, i tried orz
> 
> FANART TIME (aka, the time i take to screech very very loudly bc amazing fanart)  
>  **\- afraea:** [LOOK AT THIS. LOOK. AT. THIS.](http://afraea.tumblr.com/post/113029664396/new-fanart-from-chapter-17-of-the-fanfiction-hot) their sweaters and their selfies and orz gOD look at their happiness, i can almost taste it sOBS  
>  **\- rotsloeh:** okay, okay, so this mega jerk handed me [HAPPINESS](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/post/113129170593/you-know-i-really-shouldnt-be-giving-you-this) (and i was so happy sobs so happy bc look at it omg) before proceeding [tO RIP MY HEART OUT WITHOUT REMORSE](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/post/113236837543/oh-dear-you-dear-me-what-have-i-done-oh-well) orz whispers: i'm a good person i dont– wait, jk i do deserve it laugh sobs. sHOW THEM LOVE BC WOWOWOW  
>  **\- yue-tsubaki:** [HAHAHAHA JUST STAB ME](http://yue-tsubaki.tumblr.com/post/113051184332/glob-this-freackin-fanfic-right-here-man-always) orz i was in pain when i saw this, i am in pain looking at this now. my life is filled with regrets, but this is so amazing and just god, it hurts so good yes sOBS  
>  **\- unlegendarycasey:** aaaaaaand back to happy! whOO we are a pendelum today bc come on [yOU CANNOT BE UNHAPPY LOOKING AT THIS](http://unlegendarycasey.tumblr.com/post/113131162851/http-hoshikuso-tumblr-com-adorable), it's soooo cutE and look at dashi's ears!! :'D adorable  
>  **\- akitrash:** okay fuck guys, fuck i'm cussing bc akitrash is one of my fave artists [aND LOOK AT THIS](http://akitrash.tumblr.com/post/113242535966/since-im-a-dumbbutt-who-didnt-realize-drinking) *sCRRECHES* i woke up to this and i didnt, i couldnt even begin to comprehend what was happening bUT FUCK FUCK FUKC it's like, i dont even know HOW to describe what i'm feeling rn, but it's pretty amazing sOBS  
>  **\- deranged-child:** ok guys omg you remember that part where they took a selfie looking like the nerdy tourist couple that they weren't in front of a fountain, [WELL NOW YOU CAN GET A REFRESHER BC LOOK AT THIS](http://deranged-child.tumblr.com/post/113250733036/i-attempted-at-some-fanart-of-hoshikusos-fanfic) [insert dinosaur noises gif] they're so cUTE AND SWEATERS AND FAKE COUPLE sobs  
>  **\- sen-says-hello:** bro, their art style, [gOD, IT LOOKS AMAZING](http://sen-says-hello.tumblr.com/post/113384787424/i-illustrate-doodle-too-by-the-way-at-least-i-try) amrite? you know i'm right, bc it's freaking aMAZING it looks so good *strokes computer screen* whispers: yesssss also: god their happines sOBS orz it's beautiful  
>  **\- pandora-box-of-mind:** i dont know where the flowers came from bUT WHO CARES BC [*SCREECHES* LOOK AT THIS](http://pandora-box-of-mind.tumblr.com/post/113483503540/inspired-by-chap-16-from-hoshikusos-fic-hot) hoooooooooomg okay, like let's be real, who can resist hot doc looking like that with some flowers asking you out on a date. just say yes hiro, just sAY YES. DATE THE HELL OUT OF HIM. FOR ALL OF US  
>  **\- Ingenuemi:** gOD i am the worst omg, i'm sorry i'm sorry bUT OMG WHO ORDERED THIS 4-PART (i'm not kidding PART [1](http://vialisha12.deviantart.com/art/1-519064685), [2](http://vialisha12.deviantart.com/art/2-519064679), [3](http://vialisha12.deviantart.com/art/3-519064672), [4](http://vialisha12.deviantart.com/art/4-519064683)) SADNESS OF ART it's amazing and it's making me regret everything again bc sOBS orz it hurts so good, it hurts so good
> 
> whispers: if i could only have one achievement to put down on my resume, it's the achievement of being the receiving end of aLL THIS AMAZING BEAUTIFUL FANART orz i love it all


	19. everything is awesome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro had spent the rest of Sunday finishing old ideas and going through his phone.
> 
> The amount of text messages that Hot Doctor had sent had been smaller than the amount he had sent when Hiro was stuck in a dumpster, but they had more meaning and all of them were filled with frowny faces. Hiro was sort of glad that he hadn’t read them when he had been in his dumpy mood; he actually might’ve done something stupid—like tell the man why he had been so upset when they had parted after their day together. He didn’t know how Hot Doctor would take such information, but he knew that it probably wouldn’t have ended as well if Aunt Cass hadn’t stepped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm fucking late again ~~and this isn't even beta'd~~ *throws myself to the ground to beg for forgiveness*  
>  if this is going to become a habit i might as well change the damn update day to saturday i just  
> god anyways omg, here, have this chapter. it's a sort of filler/prelude to the chapter before the chapter where hiro will finally ( _finally!_ ) find out dashi's name. ARE YOU EXCITED?! whispers: bc i'm not, i literally sweat thinking about it omg  
> ok but holy shit, this is depressing, i'm sorry for this too. but you know what, this whole fucking day has been depressing. some of my friends have lost their blogs today because a couple of piss ass losers decided it would be fucking fun to ruin people's happiness. i am pissed off like hell but bros, dont fight them ok. karma will deal with those lil shits way better than any verbal fight over the internet will. it's not worth to get your own blogs deleted ok  
> && with that said, please enjoy this chapter. i have consumed so much mint choco chip ice cream and have listened to 'everything is awesome' on loop for the past fucking i dunno how long to make sure that this is semi-happy/decent *fingers crossed* that u guys will enjoy it
> 
> disclaimer: bh6 is not mine; BETA'D :D thanks to [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi)

—X—

 

Hiro had spent the rest of Sunday finishing old ideas and going through his phone.

The amount of text messages that Hot Doctor had sent had been smaller than the amount he had sent when Hiro was stuck in a dumpster, but they had more meaning and all of them were filled with frowny faces. Hiro was sort of glad that he hadn’t read them when he had been in his dumpy mood; he actually might’ve done something stupid—like tell the man why he had been so upset when they had parted after their day together. He didn’t know how Hot Doctor would take such information, but he knew that it probably wouldn’t have ended as well if Aunt Cass hadn’t stepped in.

He hadn’t texted the man on Sunday, but come Monday morning the first thing he did after rolling out of bed was shoot the other a good morning text.

He took his time getting ready before going down and helping his aunt, but even after the café was open and welcoming their first customers, Hot Doctor still hadn’t texted him back. At first he didn’t worry (because he _did_ get up disgustingly early thanks to his internal alarm clock), but when lunch was fast approaching, he could only sneak glances at his silent phone and think the worst.

It wasn’t until lunch hour was slowing down that Hiro’s phone vibrate in his pocket.

He stiffened and shoved down the urge to grab it and look as he placed a plate of food down in front of a woman and her daughter. “One avocado panini and one grilled tomato soup,” he said, smiling when the little girl clapped her hands excitedly. He made sure to place her plate down with extra flourish, grinning when she giggled. “Enjoy!”

He forced himself to walk normally back to the kitchen, but as soon as those swinging doors swung behind him he whipped his phone out of his back pocket, flicking through the security screen before finally reading Hot Doctor’s belated answer.

“’I’m sorry for the late reply,’” he read aloud to himself, “’got called into the hospital last night because they were short-handed and I just got out now.’”

Hiro relaxed with every word, sighing hard enough to blow his bangs out of his face as he imagined the man texting him, probably tired out of his mind. He smiled and minimized the screen to stare at his unchanged phone wallpaper; Hot Doctor’s sleeping face stared back at him from what felt like so long ago.

He brushed his fingers lightly over the screen, before shaking his head and bringing his text app back. ‘it’s fine!’ he typed out, ‘sleep > texting me back’ and, after re-reading it several more times, he sent it off with a smile.

He was about to lock his phone and get back to work before it vibrated in his hands, lighting up with a new text notification. ‘Actually…’ read the message. Hiro narrowed his eyes before his phone vibrated once more, ‘I may or may not be outside of the café right now?’

“May or may not be?” he muttered incredulously before suddenly remembering what the man had told him about sitting around the corner of the café on his motorcycle instead of actually coming in during the month that they weren’t anything but mutually interested strangers. “But he couldn’t—“ he stopped himself immediately, already knowing the answer without even thinking.

‘Come inside’, he texted with a roll of his eyes.

‘Do you mind?’ was the near instant reply.

“Oh my God,” Hiro muttered, ‘come inside right now’, he texted, adding a ‘don’t make me come out there, mister’, to make sure that Hot Doctor knew he was being serious.

That done, he resolutely locked his phone before shoving it back into his pocket. Making his way out of the kitchen, he made sure to straighten his clothes and run a hand through his hair while he waited.

Hot Doctor came inside minutes later, attracting the attention of the people sitting nearby as easy as moths to a light. Still, despite having people literally turn in their seats to look at him, he didn’t seem to notice a thing, his eyes only on Hiro as he made his way toward the front counter.

“Hey—“

“Welcome to the Lucky Cat Café,” Hiro said, rattling off the greeting his aunt had made him practice over and over many years ago. “Would you like to try our special? Today for the pastries, it’s our delicious blackberry pie—fresh from the oven. Or, if you’re on the go, our Espresso Swirl will be sure to cover all your caffeine needs.”

Hot Doctor looked hesitant for a split second before melting into a smile that Hiro hoped he didn’t show every cashier he met. “I was actually hoping to grab some lunch today,” he said, “any recommendations?”

“We don’t have anything special for lunch today, but I’ve always been fond of the deluxe BLT.”

Hot Doctor’s smile grew, “Is that your favorite?”

Hiro blinked, eyebrows scrunching up together, “Yeah, I guess?”

The man nodded, “Okay good, two of that please.”

Hiro tore his gaze away from the man, choosing to stare at the touchscreen of the computer instead. Two meals? Sure, Hot Doctor ate as if he was a bottomless trashcan, but there was also the real possibility that he was meeting someone else for lunch. The Lucky Cat had seen many couples on many dates, but Hiro didn’t know what he would do if that was the case now. Thinking of Hot Doctor dating anyone but him was already hard enough as it was and—

“Hiro?”

Hot Doctor’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, eyes refocusing on the man standing in front of him with only a counter between them. He looked worried, Hiro noticed, and he wondered what expression he had on for the man to be looking at him like that.

“Are you okay?” Hot Doctor asked, his tone careful, as if he was trying to avoid breaking glass.

“Yeah,” Hiro said, swallowing before turning back to the screen, “I’m—yeah, I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

Hiro cracked a smile that didn’t feel right on his face, “I’m fine,” he said before tapping harder than he had intended on the number 2 for the man’s order. He pressed enter before he could go and do something stupid (like backspace it back to one to make himself feel better), “Anything else?” He asked quietly.

Hot Doctor was quiet for a long second. Hiro could feel his gaze, heavy on the side of his face, but refused to turn and meet his eyes.

The man sighed, “Yeah, two drinks as well.”

Hiro’s fingers shook ever so lightly but he forced himself to enter the order in without thinking too hard about the unpleasant tango his stomach was trying to do by itself. “What kind?”

Hot Doctor hummed, “I’ll take your strongest coffee.”

Hiro gritted his teeth, “And the other one?”

“Well, that’s your choice, isn’t it?”

Hiro stopped, body freezing in place. _What_? Was this some kind of sick joke? Why was the man asking him to pick a drink for his date? Didn’t he know about—he stopped as realization sank into his bones because when it came down to it, it was exactly that. Hot Doctor didn’t know anything about Hiro’s feelings for him because Hiro never told him. How was the man supposed to know that this was literally hurting Hiro in so many ways, when all Hiro had been doing was keeping him in the dark?

Hot Doctor wasn’t trying to be cruel because he didn’t know what Hiro was feeling.

He kept his thoughts firmly on these facts as he focused on the touch screen once more. Hot Doctor didn’t know, he told himself as he touched the button for the worst drink on their menu (an expensive tea that no one bought because it smelled bad and had the worst bitter taste that stayed in your mouth for _days_ ). It was spiteful and probably wouldn’t earn him a ticket to heaven, but when he turned back to the man, he found himself feeling lighter. “That’ll be $48.35.”

Hot Doctor, who had already been holding out a credit card, faltered, his expression flickering in surprise.

Hiro snatched the card and swiped it, chuckling under his breath when it was accepted and the receipt started printing. He handed both card and receipt back to the man with a smile, “Enjoy your date~”

Hot Doctor, who had immediately latched onto the receipt, studying the numbers intently, snapped his head up at Hiro’s words. His expression mirrored the classic deer-in-the-headlights, but his cheeks had turned a bright red. He opened his mouth to say something but Hiro didn’t bother staying around to catch it.

Hiro was right; Hot Doctor _was_ expecting someone else.

He fought hard not to scowl as he turned and handed the cashier back to the actual part-timer who was supposed to be in charge of the thing. He didn’t turn back to look at the man before he shoved his way into the kitchens.

 

.

 

Thirty minutes later found his peace shattered with the appearance of his aunt.

He had promised himself that he would help her all day, and he was. Stacking inventory in their storage room still counted as helping; it was only a mere coincidence that it was the room furthest away from Hot Doctor and his (knowing him) beautiful, amazing, and probably disgustingly perfect date.

“You’re hiding,” Aunt Cass said knowingly as she leaned against the doorframe.

“I’m _not_ ,” Hiro groused, “you’ve been complaining about the storage room for months now and I’m taking this time to make things tidy!”

“Right,” she said, sounding everything but convinced, “because you’ve always cared about being tidy.”

Hiro put down a large can of tomatoes harder than he had intended to but didn’t answer, choosing to bite down on his lip and resolutely try his hardest in Not. Thinking. About. Hot. Doctor’s. Date.

After a couple of seconds, Aunt Cass shifted and sighed.

Hiro whirled around, and glared at her. “I don’t care that he’s out there eating _my_ favorite lunch with some pod person okay,” he said in a voice most would call angry yelling. “He can go eat whatever the hell he wants with whoever the hell he wants and I wouldn’t care because I’m a good friend who supports his friends in things that make them happy!”

Aunt Cass lifted an eyebrow, “And you think you’re making him happy right now?”

“Am I out there messing up their happy lunch?” Hiro growled.

“Well, you’re certainly ruining his day.”

“Oh please,” he snapped, “he’s probably having the time of his life!”

“Eating alone?”

“Whoever his date is, he or she is probably beautiful and as smart as he is and knowing his—wait what?” He stopped himself mid-tirade, turning fast enough to get whiplash. “What did you say?”

Cass frowned, “He’s out there, Hiro. Alone. For the past thirty something minutes. He hasn’t even touched his food, even though he looks close to passing out from hunger.”

Hiro stared at her because, _what?_ Was she seriously telling him that Hot Doctor’s date had ditched him? That would’ve been possible with some other person but Hot Doctor was—well, he was _Hot Doctor_. Sure he could be emotionally dense sometimes, but he was practically perfect. The man was a gift and some hussy actually had the _nerve_ to ditch him?

He stomped out of the room.

“Where are you going?” His aunt called after him.

“To comfort my friend!’ Hiro yelled back before continuing with his mission.

 

.

 

When Hiro saw him, sitting alone at a table meant for two with what was probably a cold BLT, Hiro felt all his anger for the man bringing a date here, transfer over to the anger he felt for whoever had ditched him.

He made his way over and took the seat across from the man.

Hot Doctor brightened at seeing him but flinched when Hiro slammed his fist onto the tabletop.

“Tell me their name,” he demanded.

Hot Doctor’s expression morphed to one of bemusement, “Hiro what…?”

“Tell me the name of your date,” he said, leaning forwards, “No one ditches my friend and gets away with it. By the time I’m done with them, they’ll have so many speeding violations on their record; no insurance company will want to cover them in a million years.”

Hot Doctor tilted his head to the side in interest, “You can do that…?” He asked, trailing off as he thought about something. Then he shook his head, his morals kicking in if the look of horror on his face had anything to say. “No, don’t do that, Hiro that’s bad!”

“They ditched you,” He hissed back, “I’m not just going to sit back when my friend gets hurt!” God, Hiro had been angry, but now, sitting in front of this man and getting a reminder of just how _good_ he was—angry didn’t even begin to cover the feelings he had.

“But no one ditched me!” Hot Doctor said when Hiro started standing up again.

Hiro scowled, “Don’t defend them!”

Hot Doctor frowned, “I’m not defending them because there’s no one to defend!”

Hiro stared because, “What?”

Hot Doctor stared back but instead of upset, he looked highly amused, as if this whole thing was a joke to him. “You really—“ he started before chuckling and shaking his head.

Hiro pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. “I don’t understand what’s so funny about this,” he groused as he sat back down.

“Hiro,” Hot Doctor started after his chuckles died down, “why did you think I was expecting someone?”

Hiro frowned, “Because you ordered two BLT’s and two drinks.”

“And,” the man continued, a teasing lilt in his tone, “who recommended the BLT because it was their favorite off the menu?”

Hiro lowered his arms, something like an alarm going off in his head. “Me,” he said.

Hot Doctor nodded, “And who picked the other drink?”

“Me,” Hiro said again before it clicked.

The instant embarrassment hit him like a freight train.

He raised his hands to cover his face before lowering it slowly onto the table. “Oh my God,” he mumbled, mortification and relief that was as sweet as it was sharp, coloring every inch of his skin a bright cherry red.

Hot Doctor laughed hard enough to bring tears to his eyes.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 12)
> 
> FANART TIME (is a gogo yesss ;D eyyy see what i did there? haha)  
> - **rotsloeh:** oK so this MEGAJERK decided to be nice to me again bC LOOK AT THIS!! [HIRO](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/113865178810/hoshikuso-i-heard-someone-has-been-a-megajerk-to) & [TADASHI,](http://rotsloeh.tumblr.com/post/114037837505/a-mopey-tadashi-from-hoshikusos-hot-doctor-hes) it's a matching set of them looking mopey and sad!!! doesn't that just brighten up your day?! no? oh, well aren't you the party pooper! jk jk but forreals tho, they are awesome. dem emotions, hiRO FATTENING HIMSELF UP, DASHI LOOKING LIKE A KICKED PUPPY whispers: beautiful  
>  - **hitrashi:** when i got this fanart i legit screamed for several minutes into my pillow. like legit muffled screaming, i had the sore throat and everything to prove it. bUT CAN YOU FUCKING BLAME ME I MEAN [JESUS CHRIST JUST LOOK AT THIS FUCKING THING.](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/post/113835749543/hitrashi-im-going-to-draw-fanart-of-the-hot) IF THIS FIC WAS AN ACTUAL BOOK THIS WOULD PROBS BE THE COVER OK, god i love it so mUCh sobbing whispers: phone wallpaper 5 eva (whispersx2: i had to link it to my own blog bc the artist's own has been deleted *WHIPS AROUND TO GLARE AT THE HATERS* FUCK UUUUUUUUUUUUUUU)
> 
> ALSO GUYS. STAY SAFE OUT THERE OK *smooches all of you*


	20. all i want to do is be with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever since that disastrous Monday, Hot Doctor kept coming back for lunch and—to Hiro’s horror—never failed to order two meals from the menu, all of them with a bright grin and all of them Hiro’s choice.
> 
> “Are you going to eat this by yourself?” Hiro had asked him on Tuesday, trying to glower but probably failing, thanks to the blush that was trying to burn his face off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me just say that i legit almost had a breakdown over this stupid chapter.  
> if you followed me on twitter you would have probably seen the train wreck that is my writing career orz  
> but ok ok, notes.  
> this chapter is a transition chapter so if it's written weirdly just know that it was meant to be like that.  
> despite the content though, i hope you guys will still enjoy the read :D i'm aiming for under 25 chapters with this fic, but we'll see where it goes haha.  
> also! UPDATES WILL NOW BE ON SATURDAY (for everyone who didn't see before), so i'm not late bruh, i still have a good hour yeee *wiggles eyebrows*
> 
> ALSO X2: i feel like i have to remind some of you that  
> 1\. i'm not the best writer ok, and i'm doing this for literally no profit other than your happiness. please understand if i'm late or anything else you might have complaints about. weekly updates is not an easy thing to pull off ok.  
> 2\. this is SLOW BURN and relationships are fucking complicated. if you dont understand then that's perfectly alright, but pls try to empathize first before writing off this whole story as badly written  
> 3\. this is an AU. if hiro and dashi are ooc it's bc they have different pasts here, different backgrounds and different lives that they have led. && also i'm not the best writer. english isn't even my major and i don't ever plan on making it my major, i am literally doing this for nothing.  
> 4\. if you don't like this story and where it's headed that's perfectly alright. i promise if you stop reading, i wont take it offensively. no one is forcing you to be here after all *shrugs*
> 
> alright, i'll stop blathering on now haha. please enjoy this chapter!!
> 
> disclaimer: i dont own bh6; beta'd (and probably saved from being killed with fire) by the lovely [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi) who is always patient even when i'm on the brink of a mental breakdown yeyeyeyeye #writingsux

—X—

 

Ever since that disastrous Monday, Hot Doctor kept coming back for lunch and—to Hiro’s horror—never failed to order two meals from the menu, all of them with a bright grin and all of them Hiro’s choice.

“Are you going to eat this by yourself?” Hiro had asked him on Tuesday, trying to glower but probably failing, thanks to the blush that was trying to burn his face off.

Hot Doctor took one good look at his face and started laughing. “I’m going to pick out a table for us,” he had said, brushing away Hiro’s faked disinterest.

Hiro could only splutter and pout stubbornly, but when the food was finished, he had been the one to grudgingly take it out to the man. “I’m only sitting down cause I’m on break right now,” he said when he took the empty seat across from him.

Hot Doctor just smiled, “Of course,” he said before pushing the second meal toward him and politely hiding his smile in his drink when Hiro blushed and picked at the fries on the side.

An hour later found Hiro reaching over his empty plates for Hot Doctor’s own.

The man slapped his hand away—a learned reflex that had them both stiffening in their seats.

Hot Doctor’s expression was filled with a calm sort of worry, the slight arch of his eyebrow asking a question ( _was that okay?_ ) that Hiro replied to with a smile ( _perfectly fine_ ).

Their conversation picked up from where it left off and ten minutes later, when Hiro tried stealing the man’s fries and was slapped away again, no one batted an eye.

 

.

 

Wednesday was much of the same thing, but instead of Hot Doctor paying, Hiro wrote it off on his own tab.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, waving off the man’s concerns, “consider it payback for the lunches you forced on me.”

Hot Doctor rolled his eyes at that, “Do you want me to pretend that I didn’t see you eat them as well?”

Hiro blushed a bright red before reaching over the counter and punching the man on his (very thick) bicep. He turned his nose up into the air when Hot Doctor laughed, not the least bit affected by Hiro’s measly attack.

“See if I eat with you again!” He threatened.

Hot Doctor merely smiled but didn’t say a single word when Hiro slipped into the seat across from him ten minutes later.

 

.

 

By Thursday, Hiro had come to expect the man.

He had even started helping out in the café for lunch, helping the staff while constantly throwing glances at the front door whenever it opened. Hiro didn’t know how he would react if the man didn’t come, but he thankfully didn’t have to find out when Hot Doctor walked in.

He was later than usual, but Hiro didn’t comment on it when he walked up to the cashier with a smile on his face, the usual dark bags under his eyes nowhere to be found.

Hiro studied him before returning the smile. “You slept,” he said, both happy and proud at the development.

“If I knew sleeping would make you this happy, I would’ve done it earlier,” Hot Doctor joked.

“And you call yourself a doctor?” Hiro teased, “Sleep is good for you, doc.”

There was a quick moment where something flickered across Hot Doctor’s face. Hiro wondered what it was, but then the man was smiling again and Hiro was shaking his thoughts away to smile back.

“I _do_ sleep, if it makes you feel better.”

Hiro propped his elbow on the counter before resting his cheek against it, “You’re not lying, are you?”

Hot Doctor chuckled, “No. You can even ask the staff—the nurses never get tired of shooing me away for a nap. Some of them take this care business to the extreme.”

Hiro fought not to frown as jealousy stabbed him in the heart. “I’m sure,” he said and tried on a smile to soften the clipped form his words took.

He could tell that Hot Doctor sensed something was off when his head tilted slightly to the side. The man opened his mouth to probably ask what was wrong, but before he could get a word out, Hiro cut in with his usual, “So what’ll you have today?”—the only evasive tactic he could think up in the mere seconds he had. As an added bonus, he even tacked on the scripted speech about their special dessert of the day (tiramisu) and announced the new drink that now permanently replaced that shitty tea Hiro would never use as misguided revenge ever again.

Hot Doctor still looked like he was about to ask—always the dog with a bone to chew—but with one stern look from Hiro, he ended up sighing instead. “Order for us?”

“I’m in the mood for something heavy,” he warned.

Hot Doctor just shrugged, “I always enjoy what you pick, so I wouldn’t mind.”

“Two bacon cheeseburgers then,” Hiro said as he tapped the order into the computer. “Drink?”

“If we’re having bacon cheeseburgers, then I want a coke.”

Hiro nodded, “And anything for dessert?”

“That tiramisu sounds good, actually.”

Hiro ordered two, smiling all the while, “Anything else?”

Hot Doctor paused, throwing a look behind him before turning back to Hiro. “Actually, can you make it all to-go?”

 

.

 

Thirty minutes later found the two of them sitting in a shady spot at a nearby park.

The flower-patterned blanket that they sat on was taken from the couch upstairs, and instead of taking their food out of a picnic basket, they were taking it out of plastic bags that Hiro had filched from his aunt’s plastic bag reserve. It was unplanned and definitely uncoordinated, but as far as spontaneous picnics went, this one was probably one of the best.

“We should’ve done this earlier,” Hiro commented in between bites of his burger.

Hot Doctor chuckled, “If I had known that you enjoyed picnics, I would’ve asked you out sooner.”

It was embarrassing how fast Hiro had turned at the words ‘asked you out’. He inhaled sharply before remembering that there was food in his mouth, but by then he had already started choking, bending forward to try to cough everything back up his windpipe.

“Hiro!” Hot Doctor exclaimed. He would have probably leaped the short distance between them if Hiro hadn’t help up his hand to make him stop.

“I’m fine,” he wheezed when he could talk again, taking the bottle of water the man had uncapped and offered to him.

“Are you sure?” Hot Doctor asked with concern etched on feature of his face.

Hiro gratefully took big gulps of the water, swallowing as he nodded. “Yeah,” he said after a second, pausing to weakly clear his throat, “I promise.”

Hot Doctor nodded, “Good,” before his features turned stern, “but make sure to eat slower next time,” he lectured—Doctor Mode rearing its head up once more. “I’m experienced in the Heimlich maneuver, but there’s no telling if the next group of people you choke in front of next time will have the same knowledge as me.”

“I’ll make sure to only choke on my food in front of you then,” Hiro quipped, “problem solved.”

“Problem not solved,” Hot Doctor said, but his voice was softening and the corners of his lips were twitching upward in amusement. “You need to be careful.”

“I _am_ careful,” Hiro said, choosing to ignore the look Hot Doctor gave him.

The man didn’t need words to get his point across, that was for sure.

He held up his hand, “Look, scout’s honor.”

“Were you even in the scouts?”

Hiro scoffed, “No. If you haven’t noticed, we kind of live in the middle of a city. The only trees around here are man-planted and I highly doubt I would ever find myself lost in the woods.”

The man looked so unimpressed that the only thing that Hiro could do was laugh.

When they finished their meal, they sat together with their backs against the trunk of the tree offering them shade. Hiro was people watching—something that he liked to do sometimes when he didn’t have anything else to distract him—and Hot Doctor looked like he was falling asleep, or close to getting there.

When the man’s head landed on his shoulder, Hiro had to force himself not to startle and jump up in surprise. He glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye and smiled at the sight of Hot Doctor’s sleeping face.

“Was I that boring?” He whispered to no one.

Hot Doctor let out a soft snore, thick eyelashes fluttering against his cheekbones.

Hiro snickered and rummaged carefully for his phone. “Another selfie for the memories,” he murmured, “you won’t mind, right?”

Hot Doctor slept on and by the time he woke up, Hiro had seven new selfies of him and the sleeping man in a folder aptly named ‘puppy’.

 

.

 

Friday found them back on their regular schedule.

Hot Doctor came in for lunch looking tired but happy all the same, and Hiro made sure that his coffee was served in the massive cup that was now set aside for the man alone. They talked over lunch, sharing stories about their day so far and the things that they were working on before Hot Doctor left to catch some sleep before his next shift later that night.

The man had fit himself seamlessly into Hiro’s life and Hiro found himself both scared and excited at the routine that they had unknowingly made for themselves. It had been only a week and Hiro was already wondering how he had gotten through the days without the man’s presence. Whether it was for a couple of minutes or a good handful of hours, Hiro wasn’t surprised to find that he wanted them all.

If this was how it felt being the man’s friend, then Hiro would be content.

Not that he was giving up on his crush or anything. Hell, if anything, his crush was even stronger now—not that he would ever say it aloud.

He could only imagine what Hot Doctor’s face would look like if he ever found out. He would probably stare and gape before doing that stupid head tilt thing that made him look unfairly adorable. Hiro couldn’t stop the blush or the nervous chuckle that slipped out of him at the thought.

“How stupid,” he muttered to himself before he stood and decided to do something more productive with his time.

Usually, by the time Hot Doctor left, Hiro would retreat to his garage for the day. On that Friday however, with one of the staff sick, Hiro had stepped up to operate the cashier until his aunt’s night staff came in.

He had prepared himself for a good two hours of fake smiling and not meeting anyone’s eyes before a hand slamming down on the counter made him turn to blink in surprise at the short Asian woman standing on the other side.

“Uh—“

“Tadashi Takachiho,” she said in an accent he couldn’t quite place. Her tone, however, matched the look on her face: annoyed.

Hiro frowned, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. “Who?”

The woman sighed, “This is so stupid,” he heard her mutter before she brought up a hand, moving it up until it matched the approximate height of whoever she was looking for, “This tall, Asian, and kind of nerdy?”

Hiro took a quick glance around him to make sure that this wasn’t a weird joke before turning back to her. “I don’t—“

“He has a stupid cowlick that refuses to go down,” she said, cutting him off before he could finish, “eats like his stomach is a black hole, and probably tips too much?”

Something like an alarm bell rang in Hiro’s head at the description but he ignored it in order to cross his arms over his chest. “I don’t know anyone like that, but you’re free to look around,” he told her, reaching for a confidence that he didn’t have to back up the suggestion.

“I already looked,” she told him, rolling her eyes as if _he_ was the one bothering _her_.

“Unbelievable,” Hiro muttered under his breath before he could stop himself.

She turned her head back to him so quickly that he could practically feel the whiplash. “What did you say?”

Hiro squashed down the urge to roll his eyes. That was ok in front of friends and family, but that’s how fights break out and, as petite as this woman was, something told Hiro that he really wouldn’t want to get into a fight with her. He took a deep breath to calm himself, “If you already know that he’s not here then why are you still asking for him?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Because I found receipts for this place dating back to the beginning of the week so I know he’s been coming here.”

This time Hiro really did roll his eyes. Looking for someone was one thing, but tracking down a missing boyfriend or whatever? Yeah, no, count him out. “Look lady, I don’t know this guy and he’s obviously not here now, so if you’re not going to order something, can you step to the side and let the actual customers order?”

She stared at him and he, in an effort not to look like he was backing down, stared right back (despite how extremely uncomfortable it was).

It felt like eons (but was probably a minute or two) before she looked away, flicking her eyes over the chalkboard menu above them. “I’ll have the blueberry cheesecake to go.”

Hiro played cool as he tapped out her order, smoothly handling the transaction with a grace that his aunt would probably applaud later when he told her. “Name?” He asked, already ready to send her order off and hopefully never cross paths with her again.

She gave him an undecipherable look that made Hiro feel like she was sizing him up, before smirking, “Gogo Tomago, and yours?”

Hiro’s fingers faltered at the question; he gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. “I just need your name for the order,” he told her.

She scoffed, “Just answer the question—it shouldn’t be that difficult.”

Hiro felt his jaw lock and his free hand curl into a fist by his side. He finished tapping out her name and waited for the receipt to print before handing it to her. “Hiro Hamada,” he said, all traces of his nervousness washed away by his rising aggravation.

“Hamada,” she repeated while snatching the receipt out of his hand. She gave him another look over before smirking again, “Can’t say that I approve yet, but you’re certainly interesting so I’ll give him that.”

His irritation died with the rise of his confusion because, “What?”

She didn’t answer, choosing instead to turn on her heel and move to a seat far away from him to wait for her order.

Hiro was left to stare after her with more questions than he had answers to, but if he knew one thing to be true, it was the fact that this woman—and probably the man she was looking for as well—were weirdos and should probably be avoided at all costs.

On the bright side, however, at least he now had something interesting to share with Hot Doctor tomorrow over lunch.

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 12)


	21. what’s your name (oh, i really wanna know)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Welcome to the Lucky Cat! Would you like to try our blackberry scones today?”
> 
> “Hiro, why do you do this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, now i'm late.  
> but that's ok i dont care, i refuse to rush for some stupid schedule. like i used to enjoy writing this story, but then it got tedious and i started thinking of it as a job so you know what, that chapter schedule thing is now gonna be a guesstimate ok. like i will aim for saturday, but if i don't make it i don't make it *thumbs up*
> 
> uh, notes on this chapter. well other than the fact that HIRO IS FINDING OUT HOT DOC'S NAME?? YAYYYYY CHEER WITH ME YAYYYYY #progress (snort 21 chapters laterrrr)  
> so many of you guys have told me about the different ways that you had imagined this going down, and trust me when i say that they were all amaze and funny. & welp, i can only hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint you *shrugs*  
> ALSO, holy shiz u guys what the hell! i try not to look at the kudos/comment/hit count bc like, oh man once i look at it i'll start comparing it to other people and ugh i'm just an insecure mess ok. bUT OH MY GOD I LOOKED AND WHAT THE HELL, 1800+ something kudos, 1100+ comments, && a crapton of hits? wHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? ARE YOU SURE YOURE READING THE RIGHT STORY? THANK YOU SO MUCH I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY RN *HAPPY TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR* you guys all rock ok, like wow i am getting emotional aND IT'S NOT EVEN THE END YET WTHECK
> 
> *drops down on hands and knees* writing gods, pls dont let me disappoint all these amazing people sOBS orz
> 
> anyways here, take this chapter. it's been beta'd and read over and revised like 3 times lolololol, i sincerely hope it's worth the read *fingers crossed*
> 
> disclaimer: i don't own bh6; && BETA'D BY THE AMAZE [SWITZI](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi) who likes to show me pics of huge ass spiders in the hopes of giving me a heart attack. if i don't update next week it bc i'm prob ded.

—X—

 

“Welcome to the Lucky Cat! Would you like to try our blackberry scones today?”

“Hiro, why do you do this?”

Hiro smiled his best customer service smile, “I don’t know what you’re implying, sir, but if you’re not in the mood for scones, our pies are freshly baked and always warm! Would you like to order a piece?”

On the other side of the register, Hot Doctor sighed, looking one part exasperated and three parts amused. He looked as tired as he always did, but his smile was bright; his eyes crinkled at the corners with a genuine amusement that Hiro would probably never find with anyone else.

“Please order for us, but can I get an iced coffee instead of the usual? It’s really hot outside.”

Hiro, who was already tapping out the order for a cold fruit salad, nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah, and you’re definitely not helping,” he said, more to himself than to the man.

It didn’t occur to him that Hot Doctor had perfect hearing until the man uttered a confused ”What?”

Hiro stiffened and mentally started beating himself up as the telltale warmth of a blush covered his face. He whipped his head up and took in the man’s confused puppy look before throwing out the first thing that came to his mind. “Your—“ he did a weird gesture with his hand that made him want to sink into the floor and evaporate, “—colors.”

Hot Doctor blinked and slowly looked down at the clothes he wore (dark jeans that hugged all the right places, and a dark gray shirt that stretched over his broad shoulders in a way that should be declared illegal) before looking back up to meet Hiro’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, his still confused tone tacking on an invisible question mark to his statement.

Hiro let out a strangled sound before quickly clearing his throat. He turned resolutely back to the touch screen and resisted leaning down and slamming his forehead into it several times in a row as he finished their lunch order. He put it on his own tab, half because it was his turn to pay and half because he really didn’t want to make eye contact with Hot Doctor at that moment because who knew what else he was going to end up blurting out.

“Is this one of those things that I should pretend never happened?” He heard the man ask after a heartbeat of silence.

Hiro cringed, “Probably.”

“Right,” Hot Doctor said before laughing and walking off, taking his amusement with him.

Hiro waited until he was sure the man was a good distance away before dropping his head onto the touchscreen. The machine let out a loud ding before the cash register opened, punching him none too lightly in the chest.

He could only wheeze in pain.

 

.

 

Looking back, that should have probably been the first sign that this Saturday was going to be far from ordinary.

 

.

 

She came somewhere in the middle of Hot Doctor telling Hiro about the story time he had done for the kids that morning. Hiro only knew this because Hot Doctor switched from relaxed smiles to tense shoulders and wide, surprised eyes.

“Oh no,” he said, prompting Hiro to finally turn around.

“Oh crap,” he said, catching sight of the strange woman he had met on Friday. He sank low in his seat and watched as Hot Doctor did the same across from him, looking like a scared turtle that wanted to hide in his shell. Which—“Wait,” he stared at the man, brows furrowing in confusion, “you know her?”

Hot Doctor ripped his eyes away from the woman to blink in surprise at Hiro. “You know Gogo too?”

“Yeah! She came in here on Friday looking for—“

The words died on his lips as something in his mind made an audible click, information sinking into his brain like a boulder finally reaching the bottom of a riverbed.

“Hiro?”

Hiro groaned and sank further down into his chair, moving until he was pressing his face into the table. His mind replayed the description that this Gogo woman had given him, each one like a brick-shaped bullet points to the glass window that was his head. If being a genius came with a laminated card, he might as well snip it up and set it on fire because God, how did he not realize?

“Hiro—“

“Ah, he’s finally got it, huh?”

Hiro did a bodily flinch at the familiar voice, wincing even more when he heard the sound of a chair being dragged towards their table.

“Gogo,” He heard Hot Doctor sigh, “how did you even find me?”

Hiro remembered his thoughts about the woman trying to find her missing boyfriend and quietly prayed that he was wrong. _Please, please, please_ , he thought furiously.

“Honey Lemon was getting worried when you stopped dropping by her apartment for the occasional lunch, so I did a little snooping,” Gogo said, sounding as if she was talking about taking a stroll through the park and not as if she had to dig through the man’s personal belongings. What were they to each other, Hiro wondered, and _why_ did his heart hurt so much at the realization that Hot Doctor had other people in his life?

It wasn’t as if it was a major surprise. Hot Doctor was a genius, yes, but he was so different from Hiro it was almost laughable. Hot Doctor was kind and friendly; at a party, he would be the one that every person wanted to greet and befriend. Hot Doctor was like a shining beacon, a lighthouse that guided ships safely back to shore, and Hiro probably wasn’t the first one he had helped.

How selfish did Hiro have to be to project loneliness onto the man? How selfish did he have to be to wish for the man to be as alone as him?

The two had continued talking over his head, but Hiro had stopped paying attention a long time ago. He needed to leave and collect himself, so he sat up, ready to make his excuses and bolt. Before he could do or say anything stupid however, a small hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist.

He followed it, blinking when he met sharp brown eyes.

“Tadashi,” she said, still staring at Hiro, “you have the weirdest taste in people, you know that.”

Hiro flinched.

“Gogo, w-what?” He heard Hot Doctor say, the blush on his cheeks practically visible in his words.

Hiro flicked his gaze from the woman holding him captive to the man who had become irreplaceable in his life and back again. Gogo grinned at him, and it was almost kind—

“Did you know that your boyfriend doesn’t even know your name?”

NOT KIND! _NOT KIND_! His head shrieked; his heart jumped to his throat as fear and mortification and everything Hiro did not think that he could even process, much less feel, assaulted him all at once. He could only stare at the woman in horror, unsure and unable to do anything else other than sit there and focus on breathing. How was he supposed to fix this? If Hot Doctor ended up hating him over this, how was he supposed to ever redeem himself?

He was ready to break out into prayer—

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Hiro turned his head fast enough to know that he was going to regret it later because, “What!”

Hot Doctor met his surprise with a blush that was so red and so fierce it covered the entirety of his freakishly attractive face. “What do you mean what?!”

It took Hiro a second to process what the man might have meant before feeling his own dreadful blush come back. “N-No, I m-mean—“ he stuttered, “w-we’re not b-boyfriends but, uh, I don’t know your name! Aren’t you—I don’t know…” he slumped, suddenly scared again. “…you’re not mad?”

“Oh,” Hot Doctor breathed, “is that what you’ve been worried about?”

Hiro flicked his eyes up, catching the man’s unbearably soft smile, before flicking them down to stare at the table again. “Don’t people usually get irritated when others forget their names?” He asked quietly, “I just thought that…” he trailed off.

There was a heartbeat of silence before, “Gogo, if you would?”

Gogo sighed before using the grip she still had around his wrist to essentially hand him over to Hot Doctor. “I’m going to order something salty,” he heard her say, but he didn’t catch the rest of her words because Hot Doctor was holding his hand again and smiling and looking so handsome that it made his heart ache to see it aimed right at him.

“Hi,” he said.

Hiro brought up his free hand to hide the weird shaky smile his mouth was trying to pull off. “Don’t do this,” he half-pleaded.

Hot Doctor laughed, “Why?”

“Because this is ridiculous,” Hiro exclaimed.

“Well, we haven’t introduced ourselves properly, so why not, right?” The hand wrapped around his own squeezed ever so lightly, the man’s way of nudging Hiro to continue.

Hiro just sighed and dropped the hand hiding his smile. “Hello,” he said, ridiculously proud of himself when he didn’t stutter, “I’m Hiro Hamada.”

Hot Doctor grinned, “Okay.”

Hiro raised an eyebrow, “And?”

The man tilted his head to the side, “And?”

Hiro blushed and stood up, “I’m leaving,” he said, ready to shake the man off.

Hot Doctor laughed, “No, no, I’m sorry, don’t go,” he said, tugging Hiro back down to his seat.

Hiro could only pout.

“I’m sorry, that was mean of me,” Hot Doctor repeated, his grin taking away any sincerity behind the apology, “my name is Tadashi Takachiho and it’s really nice to properly meet you, Mr. Hamada.”

 

.

 

“So what were you calling him this whole time if you didn’t know his name?” Gogo asked when she came back with a baked potato.

Ho—Tadashi perked up as well, his interest piqued in a way that could only spell trouble.

“Doctor,” Hiro said quickly, wanting to stomp on this topic subject and never revisit it ever again. If anyone found out what he had been calling the man, forget the mortification from today, Hiro would probably skip blushing altogether and just die from the embarrassment.

“Doctor?” Gogo repeated, sounding as uncertain as she looked. “That’s it?”

Hiro forced out a laugh, “Yeah.”

She studied him for a second too long before turning to Tadashi. “What about you? Think your boyfriend’s telling the truth?”

If simultaneous blushing was a thing, he was pretty sure that he and Hot—Tadashi (Tadashi, Tadashi, Tadashi, come on the man has a name now!) had just pulled it off.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” the man mumbled, looking like a pouty child who was being denied their favorite treat and was being mocked for it.

Gogo just smirked, “Could’ve fooled me.” She turned to Hiro, “Just wait till you meet the rest of the nerds, Honey Lemon is going to have a field day with you.”

At this, Tadashi brightened up significantly. “That’s right!” He exclaimed, “You still have to meet everyone else!”

“So you _weren’t_ trying to hide him from us?” Gogo asked.

Tadashi rolled his eyes, “More like I was trying to hide you guys from Hiro,” he said, his smile taking away the brunt of the joke, “I couldn’t have him never wanting to see me again.”

“Like that would ever happen,” Hiro blurted out before he could stop himself and what the hell, maybe he should just invest in some duct tape and seal his mouth shut.

There was a split second in which both Gogo and Tadashi stared at him in surprise, but then Tadashi turned away to cover his red face and Gogo was groaning about all the cheesy things that he could’ve kept to himself, and instead of feeling absolute mortification, all Hiro felt was a strange sense of belonging.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad meeting this man's friends, he thought. If they were anything like Tadashi, then he was sure that they would be interesting to say the least. Plus, if it got them away from this topic of what Hiro had been using to address the man, he would take it.

"So, Sunday?" Hiro asked, after clearing his throat.

Tadashi looked up from his hands, "Are you agreeing to go to dinner with us?"

Hiro shrugged, "I don't know, is the offer still on the table?"

The grin that Tadashi shone in his direction was practically blinding with how bright it was.

A flash and the sound of a camera going off rudely popped all of Hiro's daydreams and when he turned, he wasn't surprised to see Gogo staring down at her phone as she texted something to someone. She looked up and smirked right at him, "This is going to be great.”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 12)
> 
> we are moving this story aLONG! YEEEE but (un)fortunately i think there will be more than 25 chapters? :0 so, uh, yeah.
> 
> FIC FANART!  
> sen-says-hello: [LOOK AT HIRO'S REVENGE SELFIE!!!](http://sen-says-hello.tumblr.com/post/115065045609/06-illustration-doodle-hot-doctor-ch-20-thank-you) sHrieks i LOVE bro bro bro, the art wowowow i just, and also hahaha cass (or gogo?) in the background bein a creeper hahaha, oh man check it out it's amaze! ALSO THIS AMAZE PERSON [ALSO COSPLAYED!!!! *0*](http://sen-says-hello.tumblr.com/post/114348574074/hamada-hiro-is-there-a-hamada-hiro-fck-yes) i dont even know what to say i am so flattered aND IT LOOKS SO GOOD TOO *runs to the top of a mountain crying* THIS IS TOO GOOD FOR MEEEEE
> 
> &&& there are some amaze fanarts i also got on twitter from @thatplant & @pandorahunter95 but i have to ask for their permission before i link first, so look forward to that haha ^q^b


	22. oh, my friends will never love me like you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro balanced three frozen cheesecakes on one hand as he knocked on a familiar door.
> 
> “This is it,” he muttered to himself, “no chickening out, Hiro, you’re going to go in there and you’re going to impress them all. Just imagine that it’s SFIT again and– wait, crap, that was bad.” He winced as past embarrassments came flooding back with a sharp intensity, memories of him as an awkward freshman who stumbled around constantly with piles of books as tall as he was. “Ugh, that was a mistake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo! it's been a while :D
> 
> i'm super sorry for the wait, but i hope this chapter makes up for a little bit of it haha ^^;  
> currently, as far as the plot goes, i know how it's going to end but i don't exactly know how to get the boys there yet orz it's a hard life when you're not even sure what's going to happen in the next chapter until you actually sit down and write it sigh
> 
> anyways, i have 2 things to say before you all go your merry way with this chapter I'LL BE QUICK I SWEAR
> 
> 1\. thank you thank you thank you everyone for your continued, positive support. i read _every_ comment, and it never fails to add a lot of cheer to my day when i get that e-mail from ao3. esp from the last chapter where people asked if i've died HAHAHAHA, man, those comments never failed to make me laugh. and ahhh, the super long ones where you guys like deconstruct my writing style, those are the absolute best. i always enjoy reading what people think of the way i write and it just honestly never fails to make my day, so really, thank you guys. i may not reply to comments anymore (bc there are so many of you and i don't know how to express my gratitude other than thanking you all profusely for reading and reviewing, you guys deserve better sobs), but just know that i appreciate and read ALL of them *DUMPS MY HAPPY TEARS ON ALL OF YOU*
> 
> 2\. with the above said, i actually received a comment that... concerned me.  
> i won't mention who said it, but in it they had said something that suggested that they think that i don't particularly care about kudos counts and the like? and i may be interpreting this wrong, but i just wanted to clear this up before people start going around thinking that i don't care, period.  
> for me, receiving a kudos and/or comment is like receiving a hug or a pat on the back. it's like my own personal 'good job' button and it matters so much to me. BUT. i try my hardest not to look at the numbers. i get an e-mail about how many kudos i've gotten in a day from ao3, and really, that's enough for me. most of you guys don't know, but i'm seriously a petty person. i get jealous a lot and when i get jealous i start thinking negative and basically demotivate myself until i don't even feel like looking at my stories let alone write another chapter. it's a really shitty habit haha, you can ask anyone who's ever worked with me. it sucks, but unfortunately it's just the way i'm wired. if i start looking at the kudos/comment/hit counts as a whole, i'll start comparing them to other people and other stories and then i'll never be able to stop myself from feeling like shit.  
> please don't ever think that i don't care about them because i do, i care a whole lot. i care too fucking much. that's why i have to force myself to focus on the little bursts i get rather than the collective. when we get to the finish line, i'll look and compare all i want haha, but for now please understand why i can't do that.
> 
> also x 2 (for the same person as ^): it's fine if you think this story is boring lol, no one's forcing you to read it ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ thanks for being honest, i guess.
> 
> \- next chapter eta: i dunno, i'm kind of in shotadashi hell rn where i don't feel like writing anything but age swapped hidashi (this chapter was _so_ hard for me sobs orz) so we shall see  
>  \- disclaimer: i don't own big hero 6; beta-d by [switzi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Switzi)! and then messed with again by me bc i can't leave shit alone ever so any weird little mistakes are still mine sobs orz

—X—

 

Hiro balanced three frozen cheesecakes on one hand as he knocked on a familiar door.

“This is it,” he muttered to himself, “no chickening out, Hiro, you’re going to go in there and you’re going to impress them all. Just imagine that it’s SFIT again and– wait, crap, that was bad.” He winced as past embarrassments came flooding back with a sharp intensity, memories of him as an awkward freshman who stumbled around constantly with piles of books as tall as he was. “Ugh, that was a mistake.”

He knocked harder on the door, desperate to escape the hallway before realizing what he was inadvertently signing up for. Thinking about his past embarrassments was perfectly fine because that was in the past, but Hot– Tadashi’s ( _Tadashi, Tadashi, Tadashi,_ he chanted mentally, _the man’s name is Tadashi_ ) friends would be in there ready to rip him to pieces. And if they were all like Gogo, who had the nose of a shark on the prowl for some poor bleeding fish, Hiro was going to get torn to shreds.

His fist faltered mid-knock, hovering in place, but it was already too late, he realized when a clatter and a muffled curse reached him through the thick door. He contemplated running, just turning around and taking off. He could get far if he dropped the cheesecakes and yes, he could leave the cheesecakes in front of the man’s door, pretend that something came up– he wasn’t sure what yet, but damn it, something–

The sound of a lock being turned and– “Hiro… what are you doing?”

Hiro closed his eyes from where he was halfway bent to put the cheesecakes down, and slowly stood upright again under Tadashi’s wide-eyed stare. “N-” he cleared his throat when his voice cracked and God, it was as if he was going through puberty all over again, what the hell was wrong with him. “Nothing,” he tried again.

“Really?” And God, just the way he said that– are his eyebrows raised–

Hiro dared to look up and stomped down the urge to flinch when yep, eyebrows raised, and looking amused too—jeez Hiro, way to embarrass yourself once again.

“Are you going to let me in or can I run away and eat my feelings?” He demanded, cheeks flushing furiously when the man’s laugh filled the small hallway.

“Sorry, sorry,” Tadashi said, moving to the side and doing a sweeping motion with his arm to welcome Hiro in. “I just wasn’t expecting you to come so early.”

Hiro shoved the cheesecakes at the man as he went in, relishing in the small ‘oof’ of surprise that he got. “You invited me,” he pointed out petulantly.

Tadashi carefully took the cheesecakes, his warm hand brushing over Hiro’s as he did so. “Yes I did,” he said, grin practically blinding, “for dinner. With my friends.”

Hiro nodded, “So there’s no problem?” he said before turning to lean against the wall and slip his shoes off.

Tadashi snickered, “Well, I don’t mind, but Hiro?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s eight in the morning.”

“.....I’m leaving.”

“No, wait–”

“Something suddenly came up, I have to go.”

“Hiro!”

“Keep the cheesecakes.”

Tadashi let out a sound between a groan and a laugh. He placed the cheesecakes on a nearby end table before hugging Hiro from the back, his happiness so tangible in the way that he held Hiro close that it made Hiro shake and blush from more than the embarrassment of coming early.

 

.

 

Despite his embarrassment however, Hiro couldn’t say that he regretted it.

Hiro enjoyed spending time with Tadashi and sitting there, in the man’s living room at eight in the morning with a half-frozen cheesecake between them and an old sitcom playing on his flat screen, Hiro was happy.

He absentmindedly stabbed his fork into the dessert before looking down when his fork was stopped with a metallic clink.

“Oops,” Tadashi said, pulling his fork back.

They both stared down at the last piece before looking apprehensively at each other.

“You can–”

“Nope,” Hiro cut him off before he could finish “take it.”

“Hiro, you’re my guest,” Tadashi tried, stressing the guest as if it were the most important fact in the world.

“And you’re my host,” he said, aiming for a no-nonsense tone (and knowing that he had achieved it when Tadashi made a face, thank you Aunt Cass). “Just consider it payback,” he said, before the man could come up with a counterargument.

“For?”

Hiro smiled, “Letting me in so early in the morning. I know you’re not a morning person, so… thanks.”

Tadashi blinked before giving a little laugh, “I don’t mind waking up early if it’s for you.”

Hiro swatted his arm as the familiar burn of a blush warmed his cheeks. “Stop.”

Tadashi just laughed harder, the loser. Hiro was going to get a heart attack thanks to this nerd one day, he just knew it. Pouting, Hiro speared the last piece of cheesecake before shoving it into Tadashi’s mouth.

The squawk the man let out made Hiro grin viciously, ah, he thought as Tadashi glared at him, sweet revenge.

 

.

 

When Gogo walked into the apartment close to lunchtime, Hiro was almost relieved. Tadashi had warned him that some of his friends weren’t strangers to coming early too (“though none of them has ever came as early as you, I think that’s a new record!”), and if the man hadn’t distracted him with a battle to the death via Mario Kart, Hiro probably would’ve eaten his way through _all_ of the cheesecakes at this point.

Regardless, hearing the door be unlocked from the outside had ruined his attention so by the time Gogo made her way in, Tadashi’s go-kart had crossed the finish line while Hiro’s was precariously stuck on a corner of Rainbow Road.

“This is unexpected,” she said blandly, taking in the two empty pie pans on the coffee table first before sweeping her eyes over the screen and then over the two men who were responsible. “And you’re early?”

Hiro blushed, elbowing Tadashi when he started snickering softly.

“You’re early too,” he accused at a lack of anything else to say.

Gogo just snorted, “I always come around this time,” she told him, “that one over there has to go grocery shopping for dinner later.”

“Oh! It’s that late already?” Tadashi said, turning to take in the time on the big modern clock hanging on the far wall.

“Honey Lemon said that she would be here soon to start cooking,” Gogo said, “and let me guess, you haven’t cleaned up your kitchen either?”

“I was distracted,” Tadashi said, a light blush creeping on his cheeks as he stood from his previous position sitting next to Hiro on the couch. “Hold on, I’ll go change.”

While Tadashi left to get ready, Hiro shrank into himself on the couch, feeling guilty but not at all sorry.

“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” Gogo said bluntly, “it’s gross.”

“You’re gross!” Hiro shot back without thinking, flinching when he realized whom he was talking to.

Instead of cutting him down however, Gogo gave a little snort, “How mature,” she said with a lazy smirk that made Hiro puff out his cheeks in indignation. “Are you ready?” She asked with a snicker.

Hiro turned to her, raising an eyebrow, “Ready?”

“To meet the nerd crew.”

Hiro didn’t answer, choosing to look away and wring his hands together.

“They’re not horrible people, you know,” Gogo said, matter-of-factly.

“I know,” Hiro said, biting down on his lip to stop himself from accidentally blurting out all of fears and doubts to this woman. Thankfully, before she could pry it out of him, Tadashi came back out dressed neatly in a dark green t-shirt that was tight enough to show off his pectoral muscles. Hiro gulped at the sight he made and wondered, not for the first time, how anyone could look so effortlessly _good_.

Tadashi walked toward a table that Hiro noticed held a bowl filled with keys and other little trinkets, “Gogo are you ready to go?”

Gogo snorted from Hiro’s side, “I’ve been ready,” she said, “but I’m not going with you this time.”

Tadashi turned, looking just as confused as Hiro felt when Gogo nudged his shoulder. “Go with Tadashi,” she told him, “make sure he buys everything on the list and doesn’t make a complete beeline for the frozen food section.”

“H-Hey!” Tadashi protested, “I don’t do that!”

She smirked, “Right, sorry, I meant the ramen aisle.”

“I–” he started, before stopping himself and sighing. “They usually have sales on Sundays,” Hiro heard him mumble to himself.

“But why me?” Hiro blurted out.

“Well, considering the fact that you guys probably wasted all this time playing games, the kitchen probably hasn’t been cleaned yet.”

“You say that like I’m a complete slob or something,” Tadashi complained as he walked toward them, a pout on his lips and a light blush on his cheeks.

Gogo ignored him, keeping her intense brown eyes on Hiro. “If you want, you can stay here and try to clean up, or you can try to settle your nerves at the grocery store.”

It was Hiro’s turn to blush at her words; he looked away quickly, embarrassed but not at all surprised that she had seen right through him.

“You don’t mind, right?” He heard Gogo ask Tadashi.

“Of course not,” Tadashi said, something like excitement in his voice.

His hand landing on Hiro’s shoulder made him slowly look up at the man he could proudly call his friend. Tadashi smiled down at him, not at all unkind. “You don’t have to come with me Hiro,” he said, “you can stay here and keep playing Mario Kart if it makes you feel better.”

Hiro took in the man’s handsome face, saw the hopeful look that he hadn’t been able to hide ( _god_ , how could anyone say no to that puppy face?) and shook his head before standing, “and leave you to buy only ramen for dinner?” He said, trying on a nonchalant grin for size. “I’d like actual food tonight, thank you.”

Tadashi looked surprised, his face turning red as he turned to Gogo who had burst into loud laughter beside him. “Did you tell him that!”

She shook her head, “I didn’t,” she said through her snickers, “but jeez, he knows you so well.”

Hiro nodded sagely, “You forget that I've seen your ramen packed pantry,” he said, grinning when Tadashi groaned at the realization.

“My reputation,” the man muttered, “ruined.”

Hiro just laughed.

 

.

 

“Kale?”

Hiro looked up from the cabbage heads he was holding in both hands, raising an eyebrow at the man who was standing five feet away, holding up a strange leafy plant. “Do you even know what that is?”

Tadashi grinned, “I know it’s a vegetable.”

Hiro snorted and rolled his eyes. “Why are we the ones doing this again?”

Tadashi put the kale in the cart Hiro was leaning on before walking around it to place his hands on Hiro’s shoulders. “We’re here because apparently I can’t be trusted with buying groceries, and because you need to relax. Gogo was right, you know. You seemed really stressed waiting in my apartment.”

Hiro looked away, refusing to give in to the embarrassment his burning cheeks and sharp memory provided. Today was Sunday and he had gotten little to no sleep last night because he was busy figuring out all the ways this dinner could go wrong. He had told himself repeatedly that if he messed up then he messed up and that it wasn’t important in the long run– but lying to himself like that had only lasted for so long. The upcoming dinner was stressful because Hiro wanted Tadashi’s friends to like him. He wanted to fit in, wanted them to approve of him and he honestly didn’t know what he would do if they didn’t.

“I feel like I’m about to meet your family for the first time,” he mumbled.

The hands on his shoulder tightened their grip and when Hiro looked out of the corner of his eye, he caught a strange flicker cross Tadashi’s handsome face. How someone could look so fond and sad at the same time was beyond him.

“They’ll love you,” Tadashi said, repeating the same words he had been saying ever since Hiro had knocked on his door at 8 in the morning with several frozen cheesecakes in hand and nerves written all over his face.

“So you’ve said,” Hiro muttered.

“Hey,” Tadashi nudged him, “whose friends are we meeting again?”

“Yours, but–”

“Nu-uh, no buts,” the man interrupted, stern for a second before melting into another smile, “trust me. They’ll love you.”

Hiro pouted but said nothing, letting Tadashi chuckle as he slung a heavy arm over his shoulders. “Just think of it like this,” he said as he dragged Hiro and their cart deeper into the store, “you’ve survived Gogo, and out of all my friends, she’s the one who would most likely knock someone out with a wrench to the face.”

Hiro tried to imagine the scene and found that he had no problem doing so; he snorted, “You sound like you’ve had experience.”

Tadashi laughed, loud and full of joy, “Who do you think broke my nose?”

 

.

 

“Okay so, Wasabi is the sushi chef?” Hiro asked as they turned the corner to Tadashi’s apartment block.

“Yes,” Tadashi said, nodding, “he also dabbles in lasers.”

“Lasers?”

“Mmhm, ask him about it– especially about the plasma induced ones, those are his favorite.”

Hiro hummed, filing away the information for later, “And Honey Lemon is the chemist?”

“Very good,” he said, holding open the door to his apartment building like a gentleman from one of those old movies Aunt Cass loved to watch.

Hiro flicked his eyes down to the bundles of groceries hanging off his arm before looking back up; his eyebrows furrowed but he couldn’t stop the smile that pulled on his lips. “Always so polite,” he drawled as he walked through.

“I try,” Tadashi answered from behind him.

Hiro waited until the man fell into step next to him, walking comfortably toward the stairs. “So… Honey Lemon?”

“She’s my cousin and my best friend,” he smiled fondly at a memory he could only see and Hiro absolutely refused to let himself get jealous.

“Oh?” He asked, aiming for casual.

Tadashi side-eyed him, his fond smile curling into something closer to a smirk. “She’s also Gogo’s fiancé.”

Hiro almost stumbled over nothing, eyes wide and mouth falling open in his surprise, “ _Oh_.” Looks like his worries from before about Gogo being Tadashi’s possible girlfriend were all for nothing; he blushed, suddenly feeling like the biggest fool.

“That’s not going to be a problem, right?”

Hiro looked up, ‘ _well, considering the massive crush I have on you,’_ he thought, “Nope.”

Tadashi grinned, “Good.”

“And Fred?”

Tadashi chuckled, “Fred is special. He’s a bit eccentric, but he’s a good guy.”

Hiro tilted his head to the side, “He doesn’t work?”

“He doesn’t need to,” Tadashi said as he led them from the stairwell and onto his apartment floor.

“Doesn’t need to?”

Tadashi hummed, “Considering his parents are multi-billionaires and Fred is their only son, I don’t think he really has to do anything but enjoy his life, to be honest.”

Hiro considered the man he was following, perplexed.

When Tadashi didn’t get a reply to his statement, he turned and caught the look on Hiro’s face, raising his own eyebrow in question. “What?”

“Your friends are really unique,” Hiro told him honestly, giving the man a small smile, “I’m sort of jealous.”

“They’ll be your friends too, you know,” Tadashi pointed out, “Once you start coming to Sunday dinners, I’m sure you’ll fit right in with the group.”

Hiro frowned, “So you’ve said.”

“And so I’ll keep saying until you believe me,” Tadashi chuckled.

They reached Tadashi’s apartment door much too quickly for Hiro’s liking, but before the man moved to unlock it, his phone chirped in his jean pockets. Hiro watched as he slipped it out, unlocking the device to read the message that was sent to him. “Huh,” Tadashi said before texting something back and slipping his phone away again.

“What?” Hiro asked, unable to curb his curiosity.

“Oh, nothing,” Tadashi said, much too casual to pass without suspicion.

Hiro narrowed his eyes, “Tadashi.”

“Hiro.” Tadashi mimicked. “Ah, isn’t it nice that we both know each other’s names now?”

Hiro blushed and elbowed the man’s arm, “Jerk,” he muttered when Tadashi laughed.

“Sorry,” he said after setting the groceries down to unlock the door. He paused, making Hiro turn to eye him warily, “and I’m sorry for this too.”

Hiro blinked, “Sorry for what?” He asked, his question ultimately going unanswered because in the next moment Tadashi had opened the door and was shoving him inside, hard. Hiro stumbled, the sense of betrayal hitting him as he fell, only to have that feeling replaced by confusion when thin arms caught him and the smell of sweet, springtime lilacs filled his nose.

“Oh, he’s just as cute as you said, Gogo!” The figure holding him said as thin arms wrapped more firmly around his torso, bringing him closer for one of the tightest hugs he had ever experienced in his life.

“Honey, you might want to let him go, I don’t think he’s ready for your hugs yet,” Hiro heard Gogo say, amusement clear in her voice.

“Oh! Oops!”

Arms released him and all Hiro saw while he was stumbling back was bright yellow. He hit something firm and hoped it was a wall he could lean against, but realized it was something better when a familiar arm wrapped around him, steadying his world. “You okay?” Tadashi asked concern on his face, but amusement as tangible as the rest of him.

“I’m sorry if I surprised you,” the woman in yellow said, wringing her hands together nervously but not looking at all remorseful, “I thought a hug would’ve been a nice introduction.”

“I’m sorry too,” Tadashi said with a small smile, “I thought it would’ve helped break the ice a little.”

Hiro looked up at him and pulled a face, “Oh, you’ve certainly broken something.”

Tadashi blinked before groaning, “Crap, were you holding the eggs?”

Hiro rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips, “That’s all you care about? The groceries?”

Before the man could retort, however, Gogo cut in with a blunt, “I told you so,” that had the woman in yellow giggling.

Hiro turned to look at Tadashi, raising his eyebrows in question, “Do I want to know?”

Tadashi just shook his head and sighed, “Probably not.”

“Sorry,” the woman in yellow said, making both men turn back to her, “Gogo just told me something really unbelievable before, but now I’m seeing it and it’s really,” she glanced at Gogo again before letting out another pleasant laugh. “Sorry, sorry, where are my manners,” she held out her hand, “I’m Honey Lemon.”

Hiro hesitated before a nudge from Tadashi made him take a step toward her. He placed his hand in her own and was surprised at the strong grip that met him. “Hiro Hamada,” he said, trying on a smile that was probably saturated with his nerves. “It’s nice to meet you?”

Honey Lemon laughed, a twinkle in her eyes as she looked down at him from atop her yellow heels, “Likewise.”

 

—X—

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> -  
> (Q tally: 12)
> 
> this chapter is fragmented on purpose bc 1, if i wrote what the boys did right down to the very last detail, this story would probably be like 30x more boring hahaha, and 2, i had a _really_ hard time churning out what you see here (when will i be free from shotadashi hell sobs) orz
> 
> hopefully the next chapter won't take as long, but no promises ok ( T v T )

**Author's Note:**

> Hiro's Qs for Hot Doctor:  
> \- how do you know about magnetic servos??  
> (Q tally: 1)
> 
> ^ that up there shall be updated every chapter, and before this story ends i'll make sure to answer them in one form or another, so if you have a question that you noticed hiro might want answered, leave it in the comments and I'll (maybe) add them in ;D
> 
> kudos are buttons of love & appreciation (so love meeee), and comments shall be repaid back in happy tears :'D  
> come say hi on tumblr on my blog [@hoshikuso](http://hoshikuso.tumblr.com/)  
> && now on twitter! [@hoshiwrites](https://twitter.com/hoshiwrites)!
> 
> until next time~


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